Written in 1939, Mother Courage and Her Children is one of German playwright Bertolt Brecht's most emblematic plays. Set during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), it follows the journey ofAnne Fierling, nicknamed Mother Courage, a traveling merchant who profits from the conflict by selling food and supplies to the soldiers. A pragmatic yet tragic figure, she tries to survive without taking sides, while gradually sacrificing what is dearest to her.
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Lisaboa Houbrechts offers a rereading of the character of Mère Courage, highlighting her ambivalence: opportunist and survivor, loving mother and inflexible shopkeeper. This vision underlines how war not only shapes the history of nations, but also interferes with family ties and even the female body. The loss of her children, victims of the conflict, brutally illustrates the impossibility of escaping the ravages of war.
In keeping with Brecht's spirit, Lisaboa Houbrechts integrates the entire text, including the songs composed by Paul Dessau. This musical dimension, essential in Brechtian epic theater, should accentuate the critical distance and invite the spectator to reflect on the mechanisms of war and profit.
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Mère Courage is aimed at audiences who appreciate great theatrical frescoes and engaged works that question the human condition. Lisaboa Houbrechts' staging, both faithful to the text and contemporary in its approach, offers an intense and unsettling experience. On the other hand, those who prefer more intimate or linear dramaturgies may be put off by this work, in which theater and political reflection are inseparable.
By exploring the moral ambiguities of its heroine and the ravages of conflict, Mother Courage remains a work of burning relevance. In this new production, Lisaboa Houbrechts invites audiences to reflect on war and its contradictions.
This article is based on information available about the show and is not based on direct viewing.
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