Theatre of War
[rating=4]
In 2006, Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline performed Bertolt Brecht’s masterpiece Mother Courage and Her Children with the Public Theatre in New York’s Central Park. Adapted by Tony Kushner (Angels in America), this 2008 documentary DVD of the event provides a rare insight into both Streep’s acting craft in rehearsal and Brecht’s theories in performance.
For anyone teaching Brecht’s Epic Theatre, this DVD is a gem. The documentary explores Mother Courage itself, the play and Kushner’s adaptation in a modern context (Iraq War etc), behind-the-scenes theatre-makers mounting a production in rehearsal, and Brecht’s life in Germany, other European countries, America, and then Germany again after WWII. His theories explored in performance are littered throughout the documentary.
It includes seldom-seen footage of Brecht before the House Unamerican Activities Committee, extended interviews with Meryl Streep, Tony Kushner and Brecht’s elderly daughter reliving moments of her youth with her father.
Visual media of Brecht’s work is so rare today, this DVD serves as a valuable resource for senior high school teachers and university lecturers, alike.
Fortunately, you can now purchase this DVD on Amazon.
