Mother Courage opens

Grand Valley will close its mainstage theater season with a dramatic flair by presenting Bertolt Brecht's powerful anti-war epic, 'Mother Courage and Her Children,' with six performances from April 5 through 13.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on April 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, at the Louis Armstrong Theatre, Performing Arts Center, Allendale. Tickets are $10 general admission, $7 for seniors, $5 all college students, and $2.50 for K-12 students. Call the GVSU box office at (616) 895-2300, noon-5 p.m. weekdays, for ticket reservations or more information.

Brecht (1898-1956) is considered Germany's greatest playwright, and the sweeping black comedy 'Mother Courage and Her Children,' replete with symbolism and subversive humor, is considered his most celebrated play. The play's setting is Sweden during the Thirty Years War (1618-48) and follows the destitute Mother Courage as she struggles vainly to scrape together a living by selling items to soldiers while at the same time keep her beloved children alive and out of the war.

Brecht's masterpiece of silence and survival was premiered in 1941, during World War II, and grew in stature as ensuing decades continued to be marked by deadly worldwide conflicts. The version of the play performed at Grand Valley was translated by renowned British playwright David Hare and premiered to widespread acclaim at the National Theatre in London in 1995. It 'bristles with gutsy cynicism (and) is funny in precisely the right, black comic way,' wrote Time Out magazine.

The play was chosen for production a year ago, before Sept. 11 and the United States' war in the Middle East, but now seems unexpectedly appropriate, said Karen Libman, Theatre professor at GVSU. She pointed out a scene in which Mother Courage says, 'If I could just take my two children to a place where there's no shooting, then we could live for a while.'

'In the wake of all that has happened since September 11, I am increasingly proud and somewhat awed by the fact that we are producing such a timely play,' Libman said. 'All you have to do is turn on the TV right now to see hundreds of human beings like Mother Courage -- in Afghanistan, in Israel and Palestine, and previously, in Kosovo, Rwanda, Vietnam. The war that never ends is sadly still with us.'

The role of Mother Courage is played by Theatre major Tamira Henry in fulfillment of her senior project requirement. Henry, a Muskegon native, has been seen in the GVSU Shakespeare Festival, Cherry County Playhouse, and (this summer) at Circle Theatre. She has also worked with the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre.

Songs for the production were composed by guest artist Greg Witulski, of Grand Rapids, whose latest musical compositions were featured in last summer's 'O Baby!,' presented by the X Performance Group. Eleven songs based Brecht's original lyrics are brought to vibrant life in Witulski's catchy score.

'Mother Courage and Her Children' is unique as it is the first mainstage show to have all student designers. Supervised by Professor Al Sheffield, the play features the work of advanced GVSU students.