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Mother Courage and Her Children

Series: Modern Plays
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( 22,895 ratings, 803 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht is a powerful play set during the Thirty Years' War, following the resilient and shrewd protagonist, Mother Courage, as she tries to profit from the war while keeping her family safe. The play examines the brutal impacts of conflict and capitalism, offering a compelling commentary on human resilience and the cost of survival in tumultuous times.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this play if you have an interest in political drama and historical stories. With its setting during the Thirty Years' War and themes of survival amidst conflict, it offers a critical examination of war's impact on individuals and humanity. The use of sharp wit and strong characters can provide an engaging and thought-provoking theatrical experience.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Mother Courage is usually regarded as Brecht's masterpiece and remains to this day an epic indictment of the brutality of war. This translation by world-famous playwright Tony Kushner is spirited, lively and accessible for a modern audience.


National Theatre production September 2009.

Translation of Brecht's classic play, adapted by world-famous playwright Tony Kushner. The UK premiere will be a major new production at the National Theatre, running for 3 months in the Olivier auditorium. The National Theatre Bookshop have estimated that they will take between 600 and 1200 copies. Brecht is studied from GCSE upwards and is one of the central figures of modern world drama.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Mother Courage and Her Children was first performed in Zurich in 1941 and is usually seen as Brecht's greatest work. Remaining a powerful indictment of war and social injustice, it is an epic drama set in the seventeenth century during the Thirty Years' War.

The plot follows the resilient Mother Courage, who survives by running a commissary business that profits from all sides. As the war claims all of her children in turn, the play poignantly demonstrates that no one can profit from the war without being subject to its terrible cost as well.

This translation by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner is contemporary and lively, featuring accessible and humorous language, an easy conversational flow, and sympathetic, understandable characters. Kushner makes a classic play, which is notoriously difficult to perform, both stage and reader-friendly. It was staged at the National Theatre, directed by Deborah Warner and starring Fiona Shaw in September 2009.

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  • Mother Courage and Her Children
    Mother Courage and Her Children was first performed in Zurich in 1941 and is usually seen as Brecht's greatest work. Remaining a powerful indictment of war and social injustice, it is an epic drama set in the seventeenth century during the Thirty Years' War. The plot follows the resilient Mother Courage, who survives by running a commissary business that profits...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Reviews praise Tony Kushner's translation of Mother Courage and Her Children for being lively, witty, and articulate. It is noted for capturing the essence of Brecht's intent, making the play feel vibrant and immediate. The translation is widely appreciated for its clarity and engaging quality, enhancing the impact of Brecht's work.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781408125755

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 16 September 2009

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Methuen Drama

Contributors:

  • Translated by Tony Kushner

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 7.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 98g

Pages: 112

About the Author

Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) is acknowledged as one of the great dramatists whose plays, work with the Berliner Ensemble and writing have had a considerable influence on the theatre. His landmark plays include The Threepenny Opera and, while exiled from Germany and living in the USA, such masterpieces as The Life of Galileo, Mother Courage and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Tony Kushner is best known for his two-part epic, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. His other plays include: A Bright Room Called Day, Slavs!, Hydrotaphia, Homebody/Kabul and the musical Caroline or Change for which he wrote book and lyrics, with music by composer Jeanine Tesori. In addition to Mother Courage, Kushner has translated The Good Person of Sezuan, Pierre Corneille's The Illusion, S.Y. Ansky's The Dybbuk and the English-language libretto for the children's opera Brundibar by Hans Krasa. He wrote the screenplays for Mike Nichols' film of Angels In America, and Steven Spielberg's Munich. Tony Kushner is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, an Emmy Award, two Tony Awards, three Obie Awards, an Oscar nomination, an Arts Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, among many others. Most recently, Caroline or Change received the Evening Standard Award, the London Drama Critics' Circle Award and the Olivier Award for Best Musical.

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