h0Ih0l t00lj0

0 00l thlI0l0
by Beiioli Biecli
in a new veision by Peiei Hinion

a National Arts Centre English Theatre Company /
Manitoba Theatre Centre (Winnipeg) coproduction

Study Guide

THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ENGLISH THEATRE
PROGRAMME FOR STUDENT AUDIENCES
2009-2010 SEASON

Peter Hinton
Artistic Director, English Theatre



proud media partner of the Theatre5 series

This Study Guide was written and researched by Jim McNabb for the National Arts Centre, English
Theatre, November, 2009. UIt may be used solely for educational purposesU.

The National Arts Centre English Theatre values the feedback of teachers on the content and format of
its Study Guides. We would appreciate your comments on past Study Guides, on this current one, or
suggestions on ways to improve future Study Guides. Comments may be directed to Martina Kuska
either by email at mkHuska@nac-cna.Hca or by fax at (613) 943-1401.












0BAbout This Guide
This Study Guide contains a large amount of varied resource material to
accommodate different classes and levels. Teachers need not use all the material
found here but should Uchoose appropriate activities from pages 22-24U, then select
the corresponding support material. Topics may be used separately or in any combination
that works for your situation.

Table of Contents page(s)

Who Helped Put the Production Together? .................................................................1

About the Play: Background, Characters, Plot, Themes...........................................2 - 6

Scene Excerpt from Nother Courage and Her Children .......................................... 7 - 8

Selected Production Designs ...............................................................................9 - 10

An !nterview with Director Peter Hinton ........................................................... 11 - 12

Things to Watch for in the Production ...................................................................... 12

The Life of Bertolt Brecht......................................................................................... 13

Other Plays by Bertolt Brecht ................................................................................... 1+

Some Quotations from Nother Courage and Her Children Explained.................... 15 - 16

Epic Theatre .................................................................................................... 17 - 18

The Thirty Years' War, World War !!, and Today................................................ 19 - 20

Suggested Websites, Novies and Books.................................................................... 21

Activities Before and After Seeing the Play......................................................... 22 - 2+

Theatre Etiquette.................................................................................................... 25

Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. 26



1
Who Helped Put the Production Together?
(see Activity #13)

Cast
TANJA JACOBS as Nother Courage
with the 40
th
Anniversary English Theatre Acting Company:
N!SHA AHUJA, N!CHAEL BLAKE, R!CHARD DONAT, RAND! HELNERS,
GEORD!E JOHNSON, KR!S JOSEPH, RON KENNELL, JOHN KOENSGEN, JAN! LAUZON,
JUL!E TAN!KO NANN!NG, ALEX NcCOOEYE, N!ALL PATR!CK NcNE!L, NATT N!WA,
JEREN!AH SPARKS, WANETA STORNS, NATTHEW TAPSCOTT


Creative Team
Written by:
New version written by:
Songs written by:

New arrangements by:
Directed by:
Assistant director:
Nusic Direction by:
Dramaturgy by:
Set and Costume Design by:
Lighting Design by:
Sound Design by:
Company Historian:
BERTOLT BRECHT
PETER H!NTON
BERTOLT BRECHT, PAUL DESSAU
and KURT WE!LL
ALLEN COLE
PETER H!NTON
STEPHEN OU!NETTE
ALLEN COLE
PAULA DANCKERT
TERESA PRZYBYLSK!
JOCK NUNRO
TROY SLOCUN
DAv!D DEAN


Stage Management
Stage Nanager: N!CHAEL HART
Assistant Stage Nanagers: JANE vANSTONE OSBORN, STFAN!E SGU!N, SAN!RA ROSE



2
About the Play (see Activities #1 and #11)
8ackground
laywrlghL 8erLolL 8rechL wroLe Motbet cootoqe ooJ net cbllJteo ln
dlrecL response Lo PlLler's lnvaslon of oland ln 1939. 8ecause of hls
lefLlsL leanlngs, 8rechL had fled nazl Cermany and gone lnLo self-
lmposed exlle ln Scandlnavla ln 1933. Motbet cootoqe was flrsL
produced ln 1941 ln SwlLzerland and Lhen wlLh 8rechL hlmself dlrecLlng
lL ln 8erlln ln 1949 wlLh hls second wlfe, Pelene Welgel, playlng Lhe LlLle
role. Slnce Lhen lL has been seen around Lhe world ln numerous
producLlons and fllm verslons. lL ls consldered by some as Lhe greaLesL
play of Lhe 20
Lh
cenLury and perhaps Lhe greaLesL anLl-war play of all
Llme. 1he acLlon of Lhe play Lakes place over Lhe course of 12 years
(1624 Lo 1636), represenLed ln 12 scenes. 1he scenes glve a sense of
Courage's career buL wlLhouL developlng senLlmenLal feellngs and
empaLhlzlng wlLh any of Lhe characLers. MoLher Courage ls noL
deplcLed as a noble characLer. 8rechL's sLyle of eplc LheaLre" conLrasLs wlLh Lhe anclenL Creek
Lragedles ln whlch Lhe heroes are far above Lhe normal person. WlLh Lhe allenaLlng effecL of 8rechL's
sLyle, Lhe endlng of hls play does noL lnsplre us Lo lmlLaLe Lhe maln characLer, MoLher Courage, buL
raLher reflecL on her folly. AcLors who have porLrayed MoLher Courage lnclude !udl uench and Meryl
SLreep.

1he Characters
kad|o Announcer and oLher Vo|ces - 1hey lnLroduce Lhe play Motbet cootoqe ooJ net cbllJteo and
announce each scene and lLs conLenLs.

Mother Courage -1he proLagonlsL ls an enLrepreneur who follows armles wlLh her canLeen wagon of
food and goods and whose real name ls Anna llerllng. She earned her nlckname of MoLher Courage
when she ran Lhrough a bombardmenL ln order Lo sell her loaves of bread before Lhey wenL moldy. She
has Lhree chlldren - by dlfferenL lovers - named Llllf, Swlss Cheese and kaLLrln. AlLhough her passlon
seems Lo be Lo proLecL and Lake care of Lhem, she loses Lhem LhroughouL Lhe play, each Llme whlle
pursulng her own self-lnLeresLed goals. urawn as a deeply unsympaLheLlc characLer, we see aL Lhe end
of Lhe play LhaL war has rulned her buL falled Lo Leach her anyLhlng.

L|||f - MoLher Courage's eldesL and favourlLe son ls someLhlng of a Lhug. Pls LhlrsL for vlolence ln
slaughLerlng peasanLs and sLeallng llvesLock ls pralsed ln warLlme buL geLs hlm execuLed durlng a
Lemporary peace.

Sw|ss Cheese - 1he younger son ls raLher sLupld buL compleLely honesL. When he becomes paymasLer
for a llnnlsh dlvlslon, he Lrles Lo save Lhe cashbox from Lhe lnvadlng army buL ls execuLed for hls Lrouble.

kattr|n - She ls MoLher Courage's Leenage muLe daughLer who hopes Lo be marrled and have her own
chlldren, buL dles Lrylng Lo warn vlllagers of an lmpendlng aLLack.

kecru|t|ng Cff|cer and Sergeant - 1he Cfflcer recrulLs Llllf lnLo Lhe army wlLh promlses of beer and
women whlle Lhe SergeanL dlsLracLs MoLher Courage wlLh Lhe posslblllLy of a sale.


Pelene Welgel ln Lhe 1949 producLlon

3
About the Play

1he Characters (conLlnued)
Cook - Pe prepares Lhe food for Lhe Swedlsh general buL qulckly leaves when Lhe food runs ouL. Pe ls
very cynlcal and ouL for whaL he can geL from Lhe war. Pe laLer offers MoLher Courage a chance Lo
seLLle down and operaLe an lnn.

Commander - Pe ls Lhe Ceneral of Lhe Swedlsh 8eglmenL ln whlch Llllf ls flghLlng. Pe pralses Llllf for
kllllng Lhe peasanLs because Lhey had aLLempLed Lo hlde Lhelr caLLle from Lhe army.

Chap|a|n - Pe ls Lhe rellglous leader for Lhe army buL personlfles 8rechL's vlew LhaL rellglon ls of no use
when lL comes Lo war. Pe ls a LoLal coward and hypocrlLe who swlLches alleglances freely yeL complalns
LhaL no one appreclaLes hlm.

Armourer - Pe sells MoLher Courage Lhe roLesLanL army's bulleLs so he can buy brandy.

vette ott|er - She ls a prosLlLuLe who follows Lhe army. She ends up marrylng a rlch colonel's broLher
and ls rewarded wlLh wealLh buL loses her looks. She ls Lhe only characLer LhaL galns from Lhe war ln
some way.

1he Man w|th the Lye atch, a Capta|n and a Sergeant - 1hese Lhree roles comprlse a spy and Lwo
members of Lhe CaLhollc army who arresL Swlss Cheese for hldlng Lhe roLesLanL army's cashbox and
laLer execuLe hlm.
C|d Co|one| - 1hls ls a rldlculous, elderly commander whom ?veLLe plcks up" and who acLs as her
flnanclal advlsor" for favours.

Scr|vener - 1he clerk ln charge of recordlng Lhe complalnLs made Lo hls CapLaln advlses MoLher Courage
noL Lo complaln abouL how her wagon has been damaged.

oung So|d|er - Pe complalns Lo Lhe scrlvener abouL Lhe ln[usLlce of an offlcer who kepL reward money
owed Lo hlm. An C|d So|d|er aLLempLs Lo resLraln hlm because complalnlng ls polnLless.

easant Man and Woman - 1hey are vlcLlms of an aLLack on Lhelr farm. Pe has losL an arm and she
warns LhaL her baby ls sLlll ln Lhe collapslng house. kaLLrln rushes ln Lo save Lhe baby agalnsL MoLher
Courage's warnlngs.

C|d Woman and her Son - 1hey are Lrylng Lo sell beddlng Lo MoLher Courage when news comes LhaL
peace has flnally been declared.

Var|ous vo|ces - 1hey Lell us of passlng Llme, lnvlLe MoLher Courage Lo come lnslde Lhe parsonage for
soup, and slng of Lhe [oys of a comforLable home.


4
About the Play

1he Characters (conLlnued)
An C|d easant, h|s W|fe and Son - 1hey are forced by CaLhollc soldlers Lo help ln Lhelr aLLack on Lhe
proLesLanL vlllage of Palle. kaLLrln ls kllled when she cllmbs onLo a roof Lo warn Lhe vlllagers of Lhe
aLLack.

Assorted So|d|ers of dlfferenL armles.


|ot Summary
1he play ls seL ln Lurope, speclflcally Sweden, oland and Cermany, durlng Lhe 1hlrLy ?ears' War LhaL
was waged from 1618 Lo 1648. MoLher Courage, a canLeen woman, pulls her carL along wlLh her Lhree
chlldren followlng Lhe roLesLanL army, Lradlng wlLh Lhe soldlers and aLLempLlng Lo make proflL from Lhe
war. 1he play ls dlvlded lnLo 12 scenes:
1. We are flrsL lnLroduced Lo a 8ecrulLlng Cfflcer and a SergeanL, who complaln abouL Lhe dlfflculLy
of recrulLlng soldlers for Lhe war. MoLher Courage's carL ls pulled on and, dlsLracLlng her wlLh
Lhe promlse of a LransacLlon, Lhe 8ecrulLlng Cfflcer leads Lhe eldesL son Llllf off. Cne of her
chlldren ls now gone.
2. 1wo years laLer, we flnd MoLher Courage haggllng wlLh Lhe Ceneral's Cook over a faL chlcken.
Cn Lhe oLher slde of Lhe sLage, Llllf ls pralsed by Lhe Ceneral for herolcally slaughLerlng some
peasanLs and sLeallng Lhelr caLLle. Llllf slngs "1he Song of Lhe Clrl and Lhe Soldler," and hls
moLher [olns ln. She Lhen scolds hlm for rlsklng hls llfe so sLupldly.
3.a 1hree years laLer, Swlss Cheese, her second son has Laken a [ob as Lhe reglmenL's paymasLer.
?veLLe oLLler, Lhe camp prosLlLuLe, slngs "1he Song of lraLernlzaLlon" Lo warn kaLLrln abouL Lhe
horrors of a relaLlonshlp wlLh a soldler. 1he Cook and Lhe Chaplaln arrlve Lo greeL MoLher
Courage wlLh a message from Llllf, and Lhere ls suddenly a CaLhollc aLLack. 1he Chaplaln
dlscards hls robes, and Swlss Cheese hldes Lhe reglmenL's paybox.
3.b 1hree days laLer, Swlss Cheese has sLlll noL been able Lo reLurn Lhe paybox. Sples from Lhe
CaLhollc army who have Lracked Swlss Cheese, capLure hlm when he aLLempLs Lo reLurn Lhe
paybox Lo hls Ceneral.
3.c MoLher Courage morLgages her carL Lo ?veLLe and uses Lhe money Lo bargaln wlLh Lhe soldlers
for Swlss Cheese's release, buL bargalns for Loo long and Swlss Cheese ls shoL. When MoLher
Courage denles LhaL lL ls hls body LhaL ls broughL Lo her for ldenLlflcaLlon, lL ls Lhrown lnLo a plL.
4. 1he nexL scene flnds MoLher Courage walLlng Lo complaln ouLslde Lhe CapLaln's LenL. She slngs
Lhe "Song of Lhe CreaL CaplLulaLlon" Lo a young soldler who also has come Lo complaln Lo Lhe
CapLaln. 1he song, whlch has Lhe moral "everyone glves ln sooner or laLer," leads Lo Lhe soldler
sLormlng ouL, and Courage herself decldlng LhaL she doesn'L wanL Lo complaln.
3. 1wo years laLer MoLher Courage ls sLlll wlLh Lhe army. 1o her dlsLress she loses several of her
shlrLs when Lhey are needed for bandages for Lhe wounded soldlers and kaLLrln saves a baby
from a collapslng house.
6. Cn Lhe day of Lhe funeral of Ceneral 1llly, Lhe Swedlsh Commander, MoLher Courage underLakes
a sLock check, and she Lalks aL lengLh wlLh Lhe Chaplaln abouL wheLher or noL Lhe war wlll
conLlnue. Pe convlnces her LhaL lL wlll, so she decldes Lo lnvesL ln more sLock for her carL. 1he
Chaplaln suggesLs LhaL MoLher Courage could marry hlm, buL ls re[ecLed. kaLLrln reLurns from
Lown severely dlsflgured, havlng collecLed some merchandlse. MoLher Courage curses Lhe war.

5
About the Play

|ot Summary (conLlnued)
7. ln Lhls brlef scene, Courage slngs a song whlch pralses Lhe war as a good provlder. 8uslness ls
good for now.
8. 1wo peasanLs wake up MoLher Courage Lrylng Lo sell her some beddlng. news comes, however,
LhaL peace has been declared. 1he Cook reLurns, unpald by Lhe reglmenL, and sLarLs an
argumenL beLween MoLher Courage and Lhe Chaplaln. ?veLLe makes her second appearance,
now a rlch wldow, much older and faLLer, and reveals LhaL Lhe Cook was once her lover. MoLher
Courage leaves for Lown, and Llllf ls dragged along by soldlers. Pe has agaln slaughLered
peasanLs and sLolen Lhelr caLLle buL, as lL ls now peaceLlme, he ls execuLed, Lhough hls moLher
never flnds ouL. She reLurns wlLh Lhe news LhaL Lhe war ls back on agaln, and resumes her
buslness wlLh Lhe Cook ln Low.
9. 1he 17
Lh
year of Lhe war flnds Lhe world ln a bleak condlLlon, wlLh noLhlng Lo Lrade and noLhlng
Lo eaL. 1he Cook lnherlLs an lnn ln uLrechL and lnvlLes MoLher Courage Lo run lL wlLh hlm, buL he
refuses Lo Lake kaLLrln. MoLher Courage ls forced Lo Lurn hlm down, so Lhe Lwo go Lhelr
separaLe ways.
10. ulllng Lhe wagon by Lhemselves, MoLher Courage and kaLLrln hear an anonymous volce slnglng
abouL Lhe pleasure of havlng plenLy.
11. 1he CaLhollcs are plannlng Lo beslege Lhe roLesLanL Lown of Palle, and MoLher Courage has
gone Lhere Lo Lrade. Sleeplng ouLslde a peasanL famlly's house, kaLLrln ls wakened by Lhe
CaLhollc search parLy, whlch Lakes one of Lhe peasanLs along as gulde. 1he peasanL couple prays
for Lhe safeLy of Lhe Lownspeople and Lhelr chlldren, buL kaLLrln geLs a drum from Lhe carL and
cllmbs onLo a roofLop. She beaLs Lhe drum Lo awaken Lhe Lownspeople before Lhe aLLack. 1he
soldlers reLurn and shooL her, buL noL before she has succeeded.
12. 1he nexL mornlng, MoLher Courage slngs a lullaby over her daughLer's corpse, pays Lhe peasanLs
Lo bury her, and harnesses herself, alone, Lo her carL. 1he carL rolls back lnLo acLlon, buL lL ls
easler Lo pull now, slnce Lhere ls so llLLle lefL ln lL Lo sell.


Ma[or 1hemes
1. UCap|ta||sm |n warU - War, as Lhe play porLrays lL, ls a caplLallsL sysLem deslgned Lo make proflL for [usL
a few, and ls perpeLuaLed for LhaL purpose. 1herefore, desplLe Lhe facL LhaL she ls consLanLly Lrylng Lo
make a proflL, MoLher Courage ls desLlned Lo lose by Lradlng durlng Lhe war, only Lhe faL caLs aL Lhe Lop
have a real chance of beneflLLlng from Lhe sysLem. eople ln Lhls play are always looklng Lo geL Lhelr cuL,
large or small. ln Lhe orlglnal Cerman LexL Lhe verb ktleqeo ls ofLen repeaLed, lL means boLh Lo wage
war" and Lo geL".
2. ULower c|asses |ose |n warU - 1he play focuses on Lhe llLLle people", from Lhe nameless SergeanL and
8ecrulLlng Cfflcer freezlng ln a fleld aL Lhe sLarL Lhe play, Lo Lhe peasanLs burylng MoLher Courage's
daughLer aL Lhe end. lmporLanL flgures such as Ceneral 1llly or Lhe kalser are only menLloned. 1he war
brlngs paln, poverLy, hunger and desLrucLlon Lo everyone. MoLher Courage proflLs Lemporarlly when
Lhe war ls aL lLs flercesL buL has losL everyLhlng by Lhe end. ?veLLe, Lhe army whore, ls Lhe only one
whose llfe has lmproved flnanclally by marrylng lnLo Lhe upper class, buL she has losL her humanlLy.

6
About the Play

Ma[or 1hemes (conLlnued)
3. UV|rtue |n wart|meU - War makes human vlrLues faLal Lo Lhelr possessors. Larly ln Lhe play, MoLher
Courage Lells her chlldren Lhelr forLunes and ln so dolng, reallzes Lhey wlll all dle because of Lhelr
respecLlve vlrLues: Llllf for hls bravery, Swlss Cheese for hls honesLy, and kaLLrln for her klndness. LaLer,
Lhe Cook slngs Lhe Song of Solomon" ln whlch four CreaL Souls of Lhe LarLh dle because of Lhelr vlrLues:
Solomon for hls wlsdom, !ullus Caesar for hls bravery, SocraLes for hls honesLy, and SL. MarLln for hls
klndness. 1hese four souls could be compared Lo MoLher Courage and her Lhree chlldren respecLlvely.
1he quallLles LhaL save you ln Llme of war are cowardlce, sLupldlLy, dlshonesLy and cruelLy, 8rechL seems
Lo say.
4. Uke||g|onU - 8ellglon ls of llLLle help durlng a war. 8ellglon ls porLrayed ln Lhe play by Lhe snlvellng,
hypocrlLlcal, lecherous Chaplaln who changes hls alleglances aL Lhe drop of a haL. When peace ls
declared he dusLs off hls vesLmenLs and ls prepared Lo go back Lo work, buL soon changes hls mlnd when
war breaks ouL agaln. AL Lhe end of Lhe play when Lhe CaLhollc army ls preparlng Lo aLLack a sleeplng
Lown, Lhe peasanLs begln Lo pray fervenLly for Cod Lo lnLervene. Powever, lL ls Lhrough Lhe efforLs of
kaLLrln when she cllmbs onLo Lhe roofLop Lo sound Lhe alarm by beaLlng her drum LhaL Lhe Lownspeople
are saved.
3. US||ence and dumbnessU: 8eal vlrLue and goodness are sllenced durlng war. kaLLrln's dumbness ls
hlghly symbollc ln Lhe play. She ls psychologlcally muLe because soldlers abused her when she was
small. 1here are several oLher slgnlflcanL sllences ln Lhe play: MoLher Courage's refusal Lo complaln
afLer Lhe Song of Lhe CreaL CaplLulaLlon", Lhe Chaplaln's denlal of hls own falLh when Lhe CaLhollc army
arrlves, and MoLher Courage's denlal of her own son when hls body ls broughL Lo her for ldenLlflcaLlon.
Cn Lhe oLher hand, kaLLrln becomes Lhe mosL eloquenL characLer ln Lhe end by creaLlng Lhe nolse Lo
wake Lhe Lownspeople, her goodness overcomlng Lhe lmpendlng massacre of Lhe chlldren. Per reward
ls Lo be shoL, and Lhen burled anonymously whlle her moLher Lrudges on.
6. UMotherhoodU - 1here ls a clear confllcL beLween MoLher Courage's role of moLher" and her
professlonal role of canLeen woman". AlLhough she clalms she ls worklng Lo supporL her chlldren, her
neglecL causes Lhelr deaLhs. ln each case, she ls lnvolved ln buslness LransacLlons when her chlldren are
losL Lo her. She has had mulLlple sexual parLners, Lhe chlldren belng byproducLs of Lhose encounLers,
buL never seems Lo have loved anyone. 8y conLrasL, we waLch kaLLrln's sexual awakenlng and deslre for
a husband and chlldren. 1hese deslres are LhwarLed by her handlcap and dlsflguremenL, and her
moLher's acLlons. Per maLernal lnsLlncLs are sLrong however, as she rlsks her llfe Lo save a baby from a
collapslng house, and glves her llfe Lo save Lhe endangered chlldren of Lhe Lown.
7. UWar's hunger |s |nsat|ab|eU - Punger ls a recurrlng Lheme ln Lhe play. 1he Cook Lrles Lo feed Lhe war"
buL Lhere ls never enough food, and he musL escape when food runs ouL alLogeLher. Soldlers plllage
peasanL farms, kllllng Lhe owners ln Lhe process, Lo feed Lhe maraudlng armles. 1he play opens wlLh a
conversaLlon abouL how dlfflculL lL ls Lo recrulL enough soldlers Lo flll Lhe quoLa - Lhe war's appeLlLe for
men exceeds Lhe supply. 1he Cook and Lhe whole army feed socleLy's appeLlLe for war. 8y Lhe end,
sLarvaLlon has lefL a bleak landscape over Lhe counLy slde and MoLher Courage's wagon ls empLy.


7
Scene Excerpt from Mother Courage and Her Children
(see Activity #6)


0unfire fodes fo music wifh o voice over of Simon Schomo.
SCHAMA In fhe yeors IoZb ond IoZo, Mofher Couroge journeys ocross Livonio in
fhe boggoge froin of fhe Swedish Army. In fhe second scene before fhe
forfress of WoIIhof, she meefs her son ogoin, ond ceIebrofes fhe
successfuI soIe of o copon.

TPAMSLATOP Copon. A moIe chicken or roosfer.

SOLDIEP Scene fwol

Livonio, before fhe forfress of WoIIhof. SummerIoZo. The sfoge is divided in fwo Iike o
dipfych. Sfoge Pighf: fhe Swedish Commonder's fenf. Sfoge Leff: fhe kifchen. In fhe
kifchen, fhe cook is chopping corrofs ond orguing wifh Mofher Couroge, who fries fo seII
him o chicken.

COOI Sixfy heIIers for fhof pofhefic Iooking fhing7

COUPA0E This is fhe foffesf copon, you'II find fhese doys. The Commonder Iikes
chicken, don'f he7 Mow if you con'f provide him wifh o decenf supper...

COOI I con gef o do;en beffer'n fhof for fen heIIers down fhe sfreef.

COUPA0E Are you nufs7 Wifh o siege going on ond peopIe hungry everywhere you
Iook. Moybe you'II find o rof, you shouId be so Iucky. I'II Ief you hove if
for forfy - (She odverfi;es) Mofher Couroge's Siege Time Prices.

COOI 8uf we're nof "under siege", if's fhe ofher side. We're fhe ones doing fhe
besieging for chrissokes.

COUPA0E "Sieging", "besieging" - whof difference does if moke7 You've gof no
meof fo cook.

COOI From whof I heor, fhe PoIes sfocked up before our froops wenf in.
I heor fhey're Iiving Iike royoIfy -

COUPA0E Oh come on, Iook of fhem - fhey've nofhing.


8
Scene Excerpt from Mother Courage and Her Children

COOI They're jusf hiding if from fhe ormy.

COUPA0E They gof nofhing, ChorIiel If doesn'f moffer whose winning or Iosing,
fhese doys, peopIe ore ruined. I sow fhis guy, so hungry, he wos eofing
dirf. I sow o fomiIy boiIing oId boofs ond drinking fhe brofh. I bring you
o fine juicy copon ond procficoIIy give if owoy for fiffy heIIers.

COOI Forfy - you soid forfy.

COUPA0E Look, fhis copon wos no ordinory bird. If hod whof you mighf coII -
"foIenf." Pumour hos if fhof if wouId eof onIy fo music. Whof's more, fhis
copon couId pooch ifs own eggs os fhey popped ouf. ScrombIed, runny or
fried - depending on fhe weofher.

COOI (SorcosficoIIy) Thof is o foIenf - o copon Ioying eggs.

COUPA0E MirocuIous isn'f if7 Did you know, if wos whof fhey coII o counfing
chicken7 Yes, fhe chicken couId counf, if wos fhof smorf. And you won'f
poy fiffy heIIersl

The cook fokes o piece of meof from o borreI ond sfobs if wifh his knife.

COOI Look, I've oIreody gof fhis bif of beef, which I pIon fo cook - ond serve
fhe Commonder. So, os I've foId yo before - I'm nof inferesfed in your
miserobIe buf foIenfed bird.

COUPA0E Eh, cook your Iousy bif of roffing meof. If's probobIy of Ieosf o yeor oId.

COOI This here wos woIking oround ond mooing yesferdoy, wifh fhe beII oround
ifs neck. I sow if wifh my own eyes, oIive ond kicking.

COUPA0E AIive ond sfinking more Iike.

COOI 0ive me o sfew pof, some gorIic, some corrofs, fhen Ief's see if he con
nofice fhe smeII.

COUPA0E Yeoh, weII - I'd use o Iof of pepper if I were you.

Sfoge Pighf, fhe Swedish commonder comes info fhe fenf wifh EiIif ond on ormy chopIoin.


9
Selected Production Designs: Props
by Teresa Przybylski




1he CanLeen Wagon - Scene 6

1he CanLeen Wagon - Scene 11

10
Selected Production Designs: Costumes
by Teresa Przybylski







MoLher Courage
Cook
?veLLe - AcL 2

11

An Interview with Director Peter Hinton
(see Activity #+)



Why d|d you choose Mother couroqe ond ner chi/dren for th|s season of p|ays?
Motbet cootoqe ooJ net cbllJteo ls one of Lhe greaL plays of Lhe lasL hundred years. lL marks
Lhe flrsL play of 8rechL's crown of plays whlch lncludes CooJ womoo of 5zecbwoo, coocosloo cbolk
cltcle and Collleo. lL affecLs people so sLrongly because lL creaLes so many conLenLlons and
conLroversles. 8rechL wroLe lL when he was llvlng ln exlle ln 1938 as a cauLlonary play Lo forewarn of Lhe
advanclng Second World War. lL Look on lLs real meanlng afLer Lhe war, polnLlng ouL LhaL people fall Lo
learn. Cne of Lhe conLroversles ls LhaL MoLher Courage sLrlves Lo proLecL her chlldren from Lhe war buL
loses Lhem Lo lL, and ln whaL way ls she responslble for LhaL? She's noL a paclflsL, she's acLlvely wllllng Lo
parLlclpaLe and proflL. She's called MoLher Courage, buL ls she brave or ls she a coward? lL's abouL Lhe
have's and have-noL's, Lhose who make Lhe declslons and Lhose LhaL have Lo carry Lhem ouL. lL's a very
sad sLaLemenL LhaL was Llmely ln 1938, and agaln ln 1948 when lL became parL of Lhe 8erllner
Lnsemble's reperLolre, Llmely ln 1984 when !ohn Wood lasL dlrecLed lL aL Lhe nAC, and here we are ln
2009 and lL's sLlll Llmely. Who proflLs from war? We experlenced LhaL qulLe recenLly. WhaL were Lhe
weapons of mass desLrucLlon" abouL ln lraq? lf Lhere were noL Lhe rlch oll flelds would Lhe WesL be as
lnvolved ln Lhe war? Many people proflL ln keeplng Lhe war machlne golng.

Why d|d you dev|se your own vers|on of the scr|pt for th|s product|on?
Motbet cootoqe ls a very dlfflculL play Lo LranslaLe from Cerman lnLo Lngllsh. l don'L speak
Cerman and l dldn'L really have a burnlng deslre Lo do my own verslon of Lhe play. 1here are some
wonderful LranslaLlons avallable - uavld Pare's, and oLhers. 1he problem ls how 8rlLlsh playwrlghLs
solve Lhe language, Lhey make MoLher Courage a cockney. So Lhere l was: we're golng Lo do Motbet
cootoqe aL Lhe naLlonal ArLs CenLre of Canada wlLh Canadlan acLors playlng Cerman characLers buL
uslng cockney accenLs? l wanLed a Canadlan approach whlch was Lrue Lo 8rechL buL wlLh a Canadlan
ldlom for lL. 1haL's dlfflculL because lL uses blg language, lL's common language, noL helghLened,
elevaLed verse. 8uL lL has a rhyLhm, lL has a compresslon, a 8rechLlan consLrucLlon. lor lnsLance, as Lhe
war goes on, Lhe words geL LlghLer and more compacLed. ln peace Lhey say, l Lhlnk lL's Llme Lo go," ln
pressure of war Lhey say, Llme Lo go," and when war's really bad, Llme!". 1he language geLs more

eter n|nton
ArLlsLlc ulrecLor of Lhe nAC
Lngllsh 1heaLre

12
An Interview with Director Peter Hinton

compacL. 1here are enLlre scenes ln Cerman where Lhe only Lwo-syllable words are mottet (moLher)
and kloJeto (chlldren), all Lhe resL are monosyllables. 1he rhyLhm ls audaclous and muscular and odd.
?ou hear lL dlfferenLly. A loL of people [usL LranslaLe 8rechL lnLo a worklng class vernacular whlch loses
Lhe emoLlonal lmpacL.
My verslon began wlLh a workshop wlLh a Cerman speaklng lndlvldual who read Lhrough Lhe
LexL aloud, leLLlng me hear Lhe sounds and rhyLhms, commenLlng on Lhe meanlng of each llne and how
a word could mean Lhls or LhaL. uslng Lhe coplous noLes from LhaL consulLaLlon and Lhen worklng wlLh
17 exlsLlng LranslaLlons of Motbet cootoqe l developed Lhls scrlpL. lL ended up belng an lncredlbly
saLlsfylng way of preparlng Lo dlrecL lL because l had pondered every slngle word and LhoughL. lL's made
me focus on Lhe language whlch ls where l wanL Lhe audlence Lo focus.


Things to Watch for in the Production (see Activity #9)

the ||ght|ng - open, whlLe llghL llke a boxlng maLch,

the mus|c - addlng muslc of Lhe cabareL, of Lhe popular world, allve and vlsceral, noL cruel and
deLached buL rlghL ln your face,

the p|anos - used llLerally as lnsLrumenLs of muslc buL also as Lhe plllage of war, Lhe barrlcades,
a Lraln, desLroyed bulldlngs,

co|our - lnsLead of Lhe LradlLlonal muLed, earLh Lones, Lhe belge and khakl colours LhaL 8rechL ls
normally done ln, waLch for Lhe vlbranL colours, such as ln Lhe enormous red backdrop,

contrad|ctory act|ons - when MoLher Courage glves money Lo Lhe peasanLs Lo bury her
daughLer, she Lhen Lakes some of lL back, ls she senLlmenLal or crass or pracLlcal?



13
The Life of Bertolt Brecht (see Activity #2)

8erto|t 8recht (1898 - 19S6), th|ngs to remember:
Pe ls consldered one of Lhe mosL hlghly lnfluenLlal playwrlghLs
and LheaLre dlrecLors of Lhe 20
Lh
cenLury.
8orn ln Augsburg, Cermany lnLo a mlddle-class famlly, he had a
llfe-long baLLle wlLh hearL dlsease.
Pe had a flrm classlcal educaLlon and recelved deep lnsLrucLlon
on Lhe 8lble from hls roLesLanL, self-denylng" moLher, an
lconlc flgure who appears ln a number of hls plays.
lrom an early age he had a sLrong sexual appeLlLe,
experlenclng Lwo marrlages and counLless mlsLresses and
sexual encounLers, male and female.
Pe began wrlLlng for newspapers whlle ln hls Leens and became
a llfe-long MarxlsL, a pollLlcal phllosophy whlch permeaLes all of
hls wrlLlng.
Pls vlews on LheaLrlcal sLyle were chlefly lnfluenced by comlc acLors karl valenLln and Charlle
Chaplln and Cerman playwrlghL karl 8uchner who prompLed hlm Lo move away from senLlmenLallLy
ln order Lo Leach Lhe audlence Lhe Lrue Lhemes of a play.
Pls flrsL Lhree shorL plays wrlLLen ln hls early 20s, 8ool, utoms lo tbe Nlqbt and lo tbe Iooqle won hlm
greaL acclalm as well as a hlghly presLlglous award. 1he clLaLlon noLed: "[8rechL's] language ls vlvld
wlLhouL belng dellberaLely poeLlc, symbollcal wlLhouL belng over llLerary. 8rechL ls a dramaLlsL
because hls language ls felL physlcally and ln Lhe round."
Pe developed Lhe ldea of eplc LheaLre" (see secLlon on Lplc 1heaLre, p. 17-18) whlle collaboraLlng
wlLh varlous oLher LheaLre arLlsLs ln 8erlln ln hls mld 20s. CollecLlve collaboraLlon wlLh acLors,
deslgners and oLher playwrlghLs conLlnued LhroughouL hls llfe.
8ecause hls lefLlsL leanlngs were ln dlrecL opposlLlon Lo Lhe LhoughLs of Lhe nazl parLy, he fled Lo
uenmark when Lhe nazls came lnLo power ln Cermany ln 1933. 1o escape Lhe war he Lhen moved
Lo Sweden, llnland and flnally Lhe uSA.
uurlng Lhe war years, 8rechL expressed hls opposlLlon Lo Lhe naLlonal SoclallsL and lasclsL
movemenLs ln hls mosL famous plays: llfe of Collleo, Motbet cootoqe ooJ net cbllJteo, 1be CooJ
letsoo of 5zecbwoo, 1be keslstlble klse of Attoto ul, 1be coocosloo cbolk cltcle, leot ooJ Mlsety of
tbe 1bltJ kelcb, and many oLhers.
uurlng Lhe Cold War, 8rechL was called before Lhe Pouse of un-Amerlcan AcLlvlLles CommlLLee ln
SepLember, 1947 because of hls suspecLed communlsL afflllaLlons. Pe lefL Amerlca Lhe day afLer
LesLlfylng, never Lo reLurn.
AfLer a brlef perlod wrlLlng ln SwlLzerland he made LasL 8erlln hls home ln 1949 where he founded
hls LheaLre company called 1he 8erllner Lnsemble.
Pe spenL Lhe nexL years dlrecLlng plays and developlng Lhe LalenLs of Lhe nexL generaLlon of LheaLre
arLlsLs.
Pe dled aL age 38 of a hearL aLLack.


14
Other Plays by Bertolt Brecht (see Activity #2)

1he coucosion cho/k circ/e - uerlved from Lhe 14
Lh
cenLury play 1be cltcle of cbolk by Ll xlngdao, Lhe
play ls a parable abouL a peasanL glrl who ls a beLLer moLher Lo a baby Lhan lLs own parenLs. 8rechL's
play ls seL wlLhln Lhe conLexL of a dlspuLe over land clalms ln Lhe SovleL unlon. 1he parable ls presenLed
as a play wlLhln a play Lo celebraLe resoluLlon of Lhe dlspuLe. ln lL Lhere ls a sLruggle beLween Lwo
women over Lhe cusLody of a chlld. 1he confllcL beLween Lhe governor's wlfe, who abandoned Lhe chlld,
and Lhe young servanL who saved and cared for hlm ls seLLled by an eccenLrlc [udge who places Lhe chlld
ln a chalk clrcle and declares LhaL whlchever woman can pull hlm from Lhe clrcle wlll be granLed cusLody.
When Lhe servanL, noL wanLlng Lo harm Lhe chlld, leLs Lhe governor's wlfe have hlm, she ls awarded Lhe
chlld, havlng demonsLraLed greaLer love Lhan Lhe naLural moLher.

1he 1hreepenny Opero - 1hls ground-breaklng [azz muslcal based on an 18
Lh
cenLury Lngllsh opera by
!ohn Cay, 1be 8eqqots Opeto, premlered ln 1928. lL was a collaboraLlon beLween 8rechL and composer
kurL Welll and offers a MarxlsL crlLlque of Lhe caplLallsL world. 1hrough Lhe love sLory of olly eachum
and Mack Lhe knlfe" MacheaLh, Lhe play saLlrlzes Lhe bourgeols of Lhe Welmar 8epubllc, reveallng a
socleLy aL Lhe helghL of decadence and on Lhe verge of chaos. 1he song Mack Lhe knlfe" became one of
Lhe mosL popular and wldely recorded songs of Lhe LwenLleLh cenLury. WaLch a serles of cllps from a
8rlLlsh producLlon wlLh Cyndl Lauper and Alan Cummlng aL
hLLp://www.youLube.com/waLch?v=3pnb2bxpc!s.

1he 6ood Person of 5techwon (someLlmes known as 1be CooJ womoo of 5zecbwoo) - When Lhree
gods come Lo earLh ln search of a Lhoroughly good person, Lhey encounLer Shen 1eh, a goodhearLed buL
pennlless prosLlLuLe, who offers Lhem shelLer. 8ewarded wlLh enough money Lo open a Lobacco shop,
Angel of Lhe Slums" Shen 1eh soon becomes so overwhelmed by Lhe demands of people seeklng
asslsLance LhaL she lnvenLs a male alLer ego, 1obacco klng" Shul 1a, Lo deal ruLhlessly wlLh Lhe buslness
of llvlng ln an evll world. 1he play conLrasLs alLrulsLlc generoslLy wlLh Lhe caplLallsL mlnd-seL of
explolLaLlon and shlnes a llghL on human naLure and soclal mores. lL lmplles LhaL economlc sysLems
deLermlne a socleLy's morallLy.

6o/i/eo (also known as 1be llfe of Collleo) - 1he ploL of Lhe play
deals wlLh Lhe laLLer parL of Lhe llfe of Callleo Calllel, Lhe greaL
lLallan asLronomer, maLhemaLlclan and phllosopher whose work
seL Lhe sLage for Lhe SclenLlflc 8evoluLlon of Lhe 17
Lh
cenLury.
When Callleo ls persecuLed by Lhe 8oman CaLhollc Church for
spreadlng ldeas engendered by hls sclenLlflc dlscoverles, he
musL choose beLween hls llfe and hls llfe's work. 1he confllcL ls
beLween Lhe dogmaLlc Leachlngs of Lhe Church and Lhe
evldence of Callleo's observaLlons of Lhe heavens and oLher
experlmenLs. Powever, 8rechL presenLs Callleo as a flawed
human belng and Lhe represenLaLlve of Lhe Church as eloquenL
and passlonaLe.



LasL Cerman sLamp honourlng 8rechL's
play Collleo

15
Some Quotations from
Mother Courage and Her Children Explained (see Activity #8)

CCu8ACL: (5ooq) A |ong t|me ago when I was young, ] I thought I was above |t a||. ] I'd order
wa|ters to serve me r|ght ] And threaten them that heads wou|d fa||. ] 1hen from the
roof top a star||ng sang, ] G|ve |t [ust a year or two, ] And I prom|se |t won't be |ong, ]
ou'|| |earn to fo||ow other's ru|es. ] L|sten to my song. ] Man proposes: God d|sposes,
] 1hen te|| me r|ght from wrong.
(5pokeo) ?ou've goL Lo geL along wlLh people. Cne hand washes Lhe oLher. no good banglng
your head agalnsL a brlck wall.
(5ooq) And from the roof top a star||ng sang, ] our t|me |s up and now you know, ]
ou've got to fo||ow and obey.] 1hat I've |earned |s the on|y song, Man proposes, God
d|sposes, ] Surrender r|ght for wrong.

uescrlbed by 8rechL as belng aL her mosL depraved polnL ln Lhe play, MoLher Courage slngs Lhe "Song of
Lhe CreaL Surrender" Lo a young soldler who ls walLlng Lo complaln abouL an ln[usLlce performed by hls
capLaln. She's also walLlng ln llne Lo lodge a complalnL agalnsL Lhe army. lnLended Lo deflaLe Lhe young
soldler's rage, Lhe song Lells of a proud person who glves ln and submlLs and conforms Lo convenLlonal
socleLy and Lhe rule of governmenL. lL ends ln kneellng Lo a hlgher force, an lmage LhaL anLlclpaLes Lhe
caplLulaLlon of Lhe peasanLs ln Scene 11. Pere Courage learns by Leachlng, her cynlcal reallsm
convlnclng boLh Lhe soldler and herself LhaL dlscreLlon ls Lhe beLLer parL of valour. keep your head down
and don'L rock Lhe boaL. 1o succeed, Lhls scene musL dlsLance Lhe audlence from Lhe slLuaLlon or else
Lhey wlll mlss Lhe lrony.
-------------------------------------------------

CCCk: (5ooq) ou saw sagac|ous So|omon, ] ou know what came of h|m. ] 1o h|m
comp|ex|t|es seemed p|a|n, ] ne cursed the hour that gave b|rth to h|m, ] And
saw that everyth|ng was va|n. ] now great and w|se was So|omon. ] 8ut th|nk
about h|s case, a|as. ] A usefu| |esson can be won, ] It's w|sdom that had
brought h|m to th|s pass. ] now fortunate the man w|th none.
(5pokeo) vlrLue ls dangerous Loday, you're beLLer off lf you slmply puL some food
on Lhe Lable - llke maybe a bowl of good hoL soup!

1hls excerpL ls from "1he Song of Solomon", a song LhaL dellvers anoLher of 8rechL's LhemaLlc
pronouncemenLs-LhaL durlng war vlrLues become faLal Lo Lhose who possess Lhem. 1hls song Lells of
four greaL flgures, Solomon, !ullus Caesar, SocraLes, and SalnL MarLln, who meeL Lhelr dark faLes due Lo
Lhelr respecLlve vlrLues: wlsdom, bravery, honesLy, and klndness. 1hus, a man ls forLunaLe who has
none. 1hls refraln ls lronlc as Lhe Cook slngs Lhe song for food. ln oLher words, a man mlghL do wlLhouL
vlrLues buL noL bread.

1hls song ls also an allegory for MoLher Courage and her chlldren. Llllf ls Caesar, Swlss Cheese ls
SocraLes, and kaLLrln ls SalnL MarLln. Slmllarly, Courage's wlsdom only brlngs abouL her ruln. noLe Lhe
obvlous dlscrepancles ln Lhls allegory, however. Swlss Cheese's lnLellecL, for example, does noL maLch
LhaL of SocraLes, nor does Llllf's herolsm maLch LhaL of Caesar. 1he lrony ln Lhe comparlsons help 8rechL
make hls polnL.
---------------------------------------------------

16
Some Quotations from Mother Courage Explained

CCu8ACL: l won'L leL you anybody spoll my war for me! kllls Lhe weak, Lhey say, buL Lhe
weak are also kllled ln eace Llme. War feeds people!

Courage dellvers Lhese forceful llnes aL her momenL of greaLesL prosperlLy. lmmedlaLely before ln Lhe
scene prevlous, she had cursed Lhe war for lLs dlsflguremenL of her daughLer. now she celebraLes lL,
anLlclpaLlng her ulLlmaLe fallure Lo learn from Lhe horrors of war. As noLed by a SergeanL ln Scene Cne,
war ls her breadwlnner. ln Scene Slx, Lhe Chaplaln slmllarly noLes cynlcally LhaL war, Lhough degradlng,
provldes for all Lhe people's needs. 8rechL poses war as Courage's good provlder Lo lnslsL LhaL lL ls noL a
lnLerrupLlon of "buslness as usual" buL Lhe conLlnuaLlon of buslness by oLher means.

----------------------------------------
LASAn1 WllL: So, Lhere's noLhlng La do. (1o kotttlo) ray, glrl, can you pray?
1here's gonna be bloodshed, and even lf ya can'L Lalk, Lhe leasL you can
do ls pray. Pe'll hear ya, even lf no-one else does.

1hls excerpL comes from Scene Lleven, Lhe scene of kaLLrln's murder. Pere, upon dlscoverlng a CaLhollc
reglmenL readylng for a surprlse aLLack on Lhe Lown of Palle, Lhe peasanLs wlLh whom MoLher Courage
has lefL her wagon lmmedlaLely caplLulaLe. 1hey are cerLaln LhaL Lhere ls noLhlng Lhey can do and
supporL each oLher ln Lhelr bellef. ulLlmaLely, Lhe only "acLlon" posslble for Lhem ls an appeal Lo Cod.
1helr reacLlon recalls Lhe "Song of Lhe CreaL CaplLulaLlon" sung by MoLher Courage earller. ln Lhe
Motbet cootoqe MoJel 8ook, 8rechL's deLalled noLes on dlrecLlng Lhe play, 8rechL underllnes Lhe sLark
rlLual naLure of Lhelr surrender. ?ears of war have frozen Lhem lnLo aLLlLudes of lamenLaLlon. 1he
MoJel 8ook ldenLlfles Lhls sLyllzed caplLulaLlon as Lhe allenaLlng elemenL of Lhls raLher dramaLlc scene, a
scene LhaL could easlly draw Lhe audlence lnLo feellng paLhos. 8y rlLuallzlng Lhelr caplLulaLlon or
surrender, Lhe play encourages Lhe specLaLor Lo vlew Lhe peasanLs wlLh crlLlcal eyes. 1hough sllenL,
kaLLrln wlll lnLervene where Lhey fall, savlng Lhe chlldren of Palle. She does noL address her volce
sllenLly Lo Cod buL Lo Lhe Lown's defenses.

------------------------------------------

CCu8ACL: Pope l can pull Lhls wagon by myself. CoLLa manage. noL much ln lL, now. CoLLa
geL back ln buslness.

Leavlng her daughLer's corpse for Lhe local peasanLs Lo bury ln Lhe flnal scene, MoLher Courage resolves
Lo conLlnue her Lrade, lndlcaLlng for 8rechL, as he noLes ln Lhe Motbet cootoqe MoJel 8ook, LhaL she has
learned noLhlng. Cnce agaln she has losL a chlld whlle engaglng ln buslness. She undersLands noLhlng of
whaL has come Lo pass, however, barely reacLlng Lo Lhe peasanLs' accusaLlon LhaL she ls Lo blame for Lhe
deaLh of her chlld. Wearlly, Courage presses on dolng buslness as usual, Lhe buslness LhaL serves as her
maLerlal and psychologlcal supporL. As wlLh much of Motbet cootoqe ooJ net cbllJteo, Lhe brllllance of
Lhls flnal scene lles ln lLs sLaglng. WlLh Lhe Laklng up of Lhe wagon, 8rechL envlslons Courage crosslng an
empLy space LhaL recalls Scene one, showlng her Lreadlng a full clrcle llke a damned soul. 1he soldlers
slng her Lrademark song, calllng all Lo conLlnue ln Lhe servlce of a war LhaL conLlnues across Lhe
generaLlons.

17

Epic Theatre (see Activity #3)

8rechL had a sLrong reacLlon Lo Lhe generally apollLlcal naLure of Lhe LheaLre around whlch he
grew up, parLlcularly Lhe reallsLlc drama of konsLanLln SLanlslavskl. 8oLh 8rechL and SLanlslavskl were
reacLlng Lo Lhe shallow specLacle, manlpulaLlve ploLs and exaggeraLed emoLlons of Lhe 19
Lh
cenLury's
melodramas. 1he Lwo LheaLre pracLlLloners, however, wenL ln opposlLe dlrecLlons. When 8rechL began
worklng as a wrlLer and a dlrecLor, Lhe Second World War was a large LhreaL, and he belleved LhaL
LheaLre should engage more dlrecLly wlLh Lhe pollLlcal cllmaLe of lLs day. Whereas SLanlslavskl hoped Lo
so lmmerse Lhe audlence ln Lhe world of hls plays LhaL Lhey Loo experlenced whaL Lhe characLers
experlenced, 8rechL Look a dldacLlc approach hoplng Lo [ar hls audlence lnLo learnlng hls message.
"Lplc 1heaLre" was 8rechL's Lerm for Lhe form of LheaLre he hoped would achleve Lhls goal. lLs
baslc alm was Lo educaLe lLs audlence by forclng Lhem Lo vlew Lhe acLlon of Lhe play crlLlcally, from a
deLached, "allenaLed", polnL of vlew, raLher Lhan allowlng Lhem Lo become emoLlonally lnvolved. 1he
famous "wllllng suspenslon of dlsbellef", where Lhe audlence swlLched off lLs crlLlcal faculLles ln order Lo
belleve ln Lhe world of Lhe play, was Lhe polar opposlLe Lo 8rechL's eplc LheaLre. Whereas reallsLlc
LheaLre or a good movle" make us forgeL we are ln a LheaLre, 8rechL remlnds hls audlence consLanLly
LhaL whaL ls before Lhem ls arLlflclal and presenLaLlonal. 8rechL ln hls book 8tecbt oo 1beotte says: "lL ls
mosL lmporLanL LhaL one of Lhe maln feaLures of Lhe ordlnary LheaLre should be excluded from [eplc
LheaLre]: Lhe engenderlng of llluslon."
8rechL saw SLanlslavskl's meLhod of absorblng Lhe audlence compleLely lnLo Lhe flcLlon of Lhe
play as escaplsm. 8rechL's soclal and pollLlcal focus deparLed also from oLher LheaLre movemenLs of Lhe
early 20
Lh
cenLury such as surreallsm and Lhe 1heaLre of CruelLy as developed ln Lhe wrlLlngs and
dramaLurgy of AnLonln ArLaud, who soughL Lo affecL audlences psychologlcally, physlcally, and
lrraLlonally. Lplc LheaLre also dlffered from 1heaLre of Lhe Absurd, whose prlnclpal exponenLs were
8eckeLL, lonesco and CeneL. 1hese auLhors dld noL seL ouL Lo presenL a Lhesls or Lell a sLory buL Lo
presenL lmages of a dlslnLegraLlng world LhaL has losL lLs meanlng or purpose. 1hey place audlences ln a
dramaLlc slLuaLlon ln whlch man's fears, shames, obsesslons, and hopes are acLed ouL ln an aLmosphere
llke a dream, carnlval or alLered menLal sLaLe.
8rechL re[ecLed Lhe sLandard ArlsLoLellan dramaLlc consLrucLlon for a play and lLs adherence Lo
Lhe ploL pyramld - exposlLlon, rlslng acLlon, cllmax, falllng acLlon, resoluLlon - for one ln whlch each
elemenL or scene of Lhe play could be consldered lndependenL of Lhe resL, much llke a muslc hall acL
whlch can sLand on lLs own. Pls plays would noL be consldered comedles or Lragedles buL dlalecLlcal
commenLs on socleLy.
8rechL devlsed an acLlng Lechnlque for hls eplc LheaLre whlch he called qestos lnvolvlng physlcal
gesLures or aLLlLudes. 1he physlcallLy shown Lo Lhe audlence reveals Lhe lnLenL or Lhe personallLy of Lhe
characLer. 1wo qulck exerclses Lo lllusLraLe Lhls pracLlce and LhaL of SLanlslavsky can be found aL:
UhLLp://www.Lkl.org.nz/r/arLs/drama/posLers/2/acLlvlLles/brechLlan_exerclse_e.phpU
UhLLp://www.Lkl.org.nz/r/arLs/drama/posLers/2/acLlvlLles/sLanlslavskl_exerclse_e.phpUH.
AnoLher acLlvlLy suggesLed by 8rechL Lo hls acLors was LhaL aL an early rehearsal Lhe acLor should: flrsL,
change Lhe dlalogue from flrsL Lo Lhlrd person, second, change Lhe dlalogue from presenL Lo pasL Lense,
and Lhlrd, read all sLage dlrecLlons aloud. ln laLer rehearsals, Lhe acLor should keep Lhese feellngs of
deLachmenL as he or she beglns Lo use Lhe llnes as wrlLLen ln Lhe scrlpL. 8rechL wanLed Lhe acLor Lo
observe Lhe characLer, demonsLraLe Lhe characLer's acLlons, buL noL ldenLlfy wlLh Lhe role.


18


Epic Theatre

kea||st|c 1heatre Lp|c 1heatre
ScrlpL
Scenes follow chronologlcally,
sLandard progresslon of exposlLlon,
rlslng acLlon, cllmax, falllng acLlon,
audlence meanL Lo geL lnvolved or
lmmersed ln Lhe sLory
Scenes eplsodlc and could be
lndependenL of each oLher, order of
scenes may be changed, use of songs,
dances or exLernal commenLary Lo
lnLerrupL acLlon, scenes creaLe a
fragmenLed monLage of conLrasL and
conLradlcLlons, audlence noL allowed
Lo geL lnLo Lhe sLory buL Lo analyze
and commenL upon Lhe acLlon.
AcLlng
CharacLers bellevable, acLor works
from lnslde ouL, lnLernal moLlvaLlon
and feellngs, audlence made Lo
empaLhlze wlLh characLers.
AcLor remalns ouLslde of characLer
and commenLs on lL ob[ecLlvely, may
be hldden by mask or elaboraLe
makeup, arLlflclal gesLures, frequenL
breaklng of fourLh wall" Lo speak
dlrecLly Lo Lhe audlence, use of
puppeLs, acLors may play more Lhan
one characLer, change ln fronL of Lhe
audlence, audlence encouraged Lo
analyze and crlLlclze characLers.
SeL
8eallsLlc box seL, speclflc deLalls,
much aLmosphere ln Lhe way of seL
decoraLlon and reallsLlc props Lo
draw audlence lnLo bellef ln Llme and
place.
Sparse seLLlng, use of lndlcaLlve seL
pleces, ablllLy Lo change scene
locaLlon rapldly and slmply, unusual
maLerlals, unreallsLlc or symbollc
elemenLs, scaffoldlng or plaLforms
wlLh obvlous consLrucLlon elemenLs
shown, pro[ecLlon screens, 1v
monlLors, use of placards and slgns Lo
glve summary of scenes, parLs of
acLual sLage and lLs equlpmenL
revealed.
LlghLlng
Coloured llghL Lo glve mood and
aLmosphere, reallsLlc and subLle
Louches ln lnLenslLy Lo augmenL
feellngs, source of llghL hldden.
WhlLe llghL usually qulLe lnLense, no
mood llghLlng, sLage llghLlng
equlpmenL ln full vlew.
Sound
8eallsLlc sound effecLs and loglcal
muslcal effecLs (l.e. band playlng ln
dlsLance), sooLhlng/suspense effecLs.
Sound effecLs and muslc creaLed
onsLage, [arrlng effecLs.
CosLumes
8eallsLlc Lo perlod and characLer Lo
ald ln bellef ln characLer.
SuggesLed cosLume pleces, changes
made ln vlew of Lhe audlence.



19
The Thirty Years' War, World War II, and Today (see Activity #7)

1he 1h|rty ears' War whlch raged around
Lurope beLween 1618 and 1648 was one of Lhe mosL
desLrucLlve confllcLs ln Luropean hlsLory. 1he war was
foughL prlmarlly ln whaL ls now Cermany and aL
varlous Llmes lnvolved mosL of Lhe counLrles of Lurope.
naval warfare beLween combaLanL counLrles carrled
Lhe flghL overseas Lo SouLh Amerlca, Afrlca and Asla
and shaped Lhe colonlal formaLlon of fuLure naLlons.
1he orlglns of Lhe confllcL and goals of Lhe parLlclpanLs
were complex and no slngle cause can accuraLely be
descrlbed as Lhe maln reason for Lhe flghLlng. 1he war
sLarLed largely as a clvll war beLween roLesLanLs and
CaLhollcs ln Lhe Poly 8oman Lmplre, whlch was a unlon
of seml-lndependenL sLaLes each governed by lLs own
klng, baron, prlnce, eLc., buL overall admlnlsLered by
Lhe elecLed Poly 8oman Lmperor or kalser. ulspuLes over Lhe lnLernal pollLlcs and balance of power
wlLhln Lhe Lmplre also played a slgnlflcanL parL ln lgnlLlng Lhe hosLlllLles. Cradually Lhe war developed
lnLo a more general confllcL lnvolvlng mosL of Lhe Luropean powers lncludlng uenmark, Sweden, lrance,
oland, Spaln and lLaly. As Llme wore on, lL became less abouL rellglon and more abouL rlvalrles
beLween Lhe rulers of Lhe dlfferenL sLaLes LhroughouL Lurope [osLllng for power.
A ma[or lmpacL of Lhe 1hlrLy ?ears' War was
Lhe exLenslve desLrucLlon of enLlre reglons,
devasLaLed by armles hungry for food and plunder.
never before had Lhere been such loss of clvlllan llfe
ln a war, and lLs llke would noL be seen agaln unLll
World War ll. lamlne and epldemlcs slgnlflcanLly
decreased Lhe populaLlon of Lhe Cerman sLaLes, Lhe
Low CounLrles (8elglum and neLherlands) and lLaly. lL
ls esLlmaLed LhaL cerLaln reglons losL up Lo 73 of
Lhelr populaLlon Lhrough deaLh or expulslon. 1he
Swedlsh armles alone may have desLroyed up Lo
2,000 casLles, 18,000 vlllages and 1,300 Lowns ln
Cermany, one-Lhlrd of all Cerman Lowns. 1he War
resulLed ln evenLually bankrupLlng mosL of Lhe
combaLanL powers. 1he ma[orlLy of Lhe soldlers ln
Lhe varlous armles were mercenary, wlLh poor dlsclpllne and llLLle loyalLy Lo Lhe causes. 1he problem of
dlsclpllne was made worse sLlll by Lhe oJ boc naLure of 17
Lh
cenLury mlllLary flnanclng. Armles were
expecLed Lo be largely self-fundlng from looL Laken or ransoms exLorLed from Lhe communlLles overrun.
1hls encouraged a form of lawlessness LhaL lmposed severe hardshlp on lnhablLanLs of Lhe occupled
LerrlLory. 1he War ended wlLh Lhe slgnlng of Lhe eace of WesLphalla whlch resulLed ln Lhe compleLe
fragmenLaLlon of Lhe Poly 8oman Lmplre and lLs loss ln power, Lhe declaraLlon LhaL roLesLanLlsm and
CaLhollclsm were equal before Lhe law, and Lhe redrawlng of Lhe map of Lurope wlLh lndependenL
soverelgn sLaLes.

1he Poly 8oman Lmplre of 1600 lmposed
on Lhe modern map of Lurope.

vlcLory of Lhe roLesLanL and Swedlsh
forces aL Lhe 8aLLle of 8relLenfeld ln 1631.

20
The Thirty Years' War, World War II, and Today

8rechL's cholce of seLLlng hls anLl-war play ln Lhe mldsL of Lhe 1hlrLy ?ears' War was made for
several reasons. llrsLly, Lhe monumenLal desLrucLlon and loss of llfe was lnfllcLed mosLly on Lhe poor
clvlllan populaLlons of Lurope. Pls polnL was LhaL Lhe llLLle man ls Lhe one Lo lose ln warLlme, rulers and
blg buslness wlll always wln. Pe hoped LhaL Lhe lesson of Lhe folly of war would be learned by Lhe
masses whlch had everyLhlng Lo lose. Secondly, by placlng Lhe drama ln a dlsLanL Llme (300 years
earller) people would have fewer Lendencles Lo relaLe emoLlonally Lo lL and be more llkely Lo llsLen
ob[ecLlvely Lo Lhe message. Cermany, however, was Lhe seLLlng ln whlch he wroLe, and Cermany ln
1938 was headlng lnexorably Loward war under Lhe leadershlp of Lhe nazl parLy - a war whlch was Lo
surpass Lhe mlsery of Lhe 1hlrLy ?ears War.

Wor|d War II was a global confllcL whlch lnvolved a ma[orlLy of Lhe world's naLlons, lncludlng
all greaL powers, organlzed lnLo Lwo opposlng mlllLary alllances: Lhe Allles and Lhe Axls. 1he war
lnvolved Lhe moblllzaLlon of over 100 mllllon mlllLary personnel, maklng lL Lhe mosL wldespread war ln
hlsLory. ln a sLaLe of "LoLal war," Lhe ma[or parLlclpanLs placed Lhelr enLlre economlc, lndusLrlal, and
sclenLlflc capablllLles aL Lhe servlce of Lhe war efforL, eraslng Lhe dlsLlncLlon beLween clvlllan and mlllLary
resources. Cver 70 mllllon people, Lhe ma[orlLy clvlllans, were kllled, maklng lL Lhe deadllesL confllcL ln
human hlsLory.
1he war began on SepLember 1, 1939, wlLh Lhe Cerman lnvaslon of oland and Lhe subsequenL
declaraLlons of war on Cermany by 8rlLaln, Canada, mosL of Lhe counLrles ln Lhe 8rlLlsh CommonwealLh
and lrance. 1hls was followed by Lhe lnvaslon of oland from Lhe easL slde by Lhe SovleL unlon Lo halL
Lhe advance of Lhe Cermans. PlLler had already allled hlmself wlLh Lhe lasclsL reglme ln lLaly and wlLh
!apan. A number of oLher counLrles were already aL war wlLh each oLher, such as LLhlopla and lLaly and
!apan and Chlna. CLher counLrles were drawn lnLo Lhe war by Lhe !apanese lnvaslon of 8rlLlsh colonles
and aLLack on Lhe uS naval base ln earl Parbour.
1he war ended ln 1943 wlLh a vlcLory for Lhe
Allles. 1he SovleL unlon and Lhe unlLed SLaLes
emerged as superpowers, seLLlng Lhe sLage for Lhe
Cold War whlch lasLed for Lhe nexL 46 years. 1he
unlLed naLlons was formed ln Lhe hope of
prevenLlng anoLher global confllcL. uecolonlzaLlon
movemenLs began ln Asla and Afrlca as a resulL of
Lhe more popular concepL of naLlonal self-
deLermlnaLlon. WesLern Lurope began movlng
Loward lnLegraLlon, a movemenL acceleraLed by Lhe
dlslnLegraLlon of Lhe uSS8 ln 1991.

kecent Wars lnclude Lhe Clvll War ln Lebanon, Lhe lsraell wars wlLh Lhe surroundlng Arab
sLaLes, Lhe Shla-Sunnl dlspuLe, Lhe lraq-1urkey-kurd dlspuLe, Lhe lran-lraq War, Lhe uS and uSS8's
lnvolvemenL ln lraq and AfghanlsLan. Some have compared Lhe 1hlrLy ?ears' War wlLh Lhe slLuaLlon ln
Lhe Mlddle LasL Loday whlch llkewlse has lLs rellglous rooLs and old anlmoslLles, and ln whlch Lhe conLrol
of greaL naLural resources and Lhe balance of power are aL sLake.



21
Suggested Websites, Movies and Books
(see Activity #3)
Websites of Interest

hLLp://www.klr[asLo.scl.fl/brechL.hLm A blography of 8rechL and a dlscusslon
of hls works.
hLLp://www.LheaLredaLabase.com/20Lh_cenLury/berLolL_brechL_001.hLml
AnoLher useful blography and llsL of 8rechL's plays.
hLLp://www.youLube.com/waLch?v=1Mz3l1LmLLw A shorL cllp of Meryl
SLreep performlng ln and commenLlng on a recenL new ?ork producLlon.
hLLp://www.youLube.com/waLch?v=bu_[CLAwC6C A shorL cllp wlLh commenLary on 8rechL
and hls play Motbet cootoqe ooJ net cbllJteo.

Plays of Interest
All My 5oos by ArLhur Mlller. A man proflLs durlng Lhe Second World
War by selllng alrplane parLs Lo Lhe mlllLary. Powever, Lhese parLs are
defecLlve and cause Lhe deaLh of a number of flyers. Pe ls Lurned ln by
hls daughLer when Lhe LruLh comes ouL.

Books
8recht on 1heotre: 1he ueve/opment of on 4esthetic by 8erLolL 8rechL,
LranslaLed by !ohn WllleLL. 1hls volume offers a ma[or selecLlon of 8erLolL
8rechL's groundbreaklng crlLlcal wrlLlng. Pere, arranged ln chronologlcal order,
are essays from 1918 Lo 1936, ln whlch 8rechL explores hls deflnlLlon of Lhe
Lplc 1heaLre and hls Lheory of allenaLlon effecLs ln dlrecLlng, acLlng, and
wrlLlng.
1he 1heoter ond lts uoub/e by AnLonln ArLaud, Lrans. by Mary C. 8lchard. ubllshed flrsL ln
1938, Lhls ls ArLaud's conLroverLlal LreaLlse on hls 1heaLre of CruelLy". 1he book ls an aLLack on
many of Lhe mosL Lreasured bellefs of boLh LheaLer and WesLern culLure.
1he 1heotre of the 4bsurd by MarLln Lsslln. 1hls very readable and enLerLalnlng book
Lhoroughly explalns whaL absurdlsL LheaLre ls and lsn'L. lL lnLroduces Lhe mosL famous
playwrlghLs of Lhls genre as well as some of Lhe lesser known and explalns whaL Lhey are
aLLempLlng Lo do ln LheaLre.
1he mpty 5poce: 4 8ook 4bout the 1heotre: ueod/y, no/y, kouqh, lmmediote by eLer 8rook.
ln Lhls book, Lhe auLhor descrlbes ln an easy, conversaLlonal sLyle Lhe four klnds of LheaLre: Lhe
ueadly 1heaLre (convenLlonal, formulalc and unsaLlsfylng), Lhe Poly 1heaLre (whlch seeks Lo
redlscover rlLual and drama's splrlLual dlmenslon), Lhe 8ough 1heaLre (a LheaLre of Lhe people,
agalnsL preLenslon and full of nolse and acLlon, besL Lyplfled by Lhe LllzabeLhan LheaLre), and
Lhe lmmedlaLe 1heaLre, wlLh whlch 8rook ldenLlfles hls own career, an aLLempL Lo dlscover a
fluld and ever-changlng sLyle LhaL emphaslzes Lhe [oy of Lhe LheaLrlcal experlence.




22
Activities

UBefore Seeing the Play

1. A Reading Assignment
Distribute copies of the section on About the Play" (p. 2-6). Knowing the background as to
why Brecht wrote the play as a warning of the impending Second World War will help students
appreciate the content more. The plot is not difficult to follow but younger students might find
the structure confusing, making a familiarity with the plot useful. Keeping the suggested
themes of the play in mind could spark discussion on what the play means to them. Have the
class come back to these pages on themes after seeing the play and see if they agree or if
other themes come to mind.

2. A Reading Activity
Have the students read the sections The Life of Bertolt Brecht" (p. 13) and Other Plays by
Bertolt Brecht" (p. 1+). Although productions of his plays are relatively infrequent here in
Canada, Brecht had a huge influence on modern theatre and theatrical productions. A search
online might turn up one of his short plays which could become a class or school production.

3. An Activity on Theatrical Style - Epic Theatre
Read the section on Epic Theatre (p. 17-18), the theatrical style introduced by Brecht to
produce his plays. (Other non-realistic styles developed in the early part of the 20
th
century can
be researched on the internet and discussed.) Discuss how this style, which was very radical
when Brecht devised it, has become part of our everyday theatre today. Although we may not
use all of his devices in each production, various elements are used almost universally now.
Have the students recall elements from productions they have seen or scripts they have read
which used Brechtian techniques. Have the students try the acting exercises mentioned on
page 17. Books on theatre styles and theories that might be useful in the school library would
be those mentioned on page 21.

4. Writing Assignment to Learn about Translating a Play for Canadians
Read Peter Hinton's comments about creating a new version of Brecht's Nother Courage and
Her Children for a Canadian audience (p. 11-12). Although it might be difficult to find English
versions of Brecht's plays online, a hard copy might be obtained from the school library or the
public library. Choose a scene from the play for the class to work on and have them write the
dialogue in their own language that matches the Canadian pattern of speech. !t is important to
be true to Brecht's intent in the speeches as seen in the published translation but also to make
the scene sound as if modern Canadians are expressing the ideas in a vernacular way.

5. Enrichment Activity
visit the NAC's website called ArtsAlive, HUhttp:ffwww.artsalive.cafenfethfindex.aspUH to learn a
wealth of information on putting on plays. Students might be interested in finding out about
Design and Production", in particular about Set and Prop Design" or Costume Design". Also
refer to the selected prop and costume designs by Teresa Przybylski for this production found
on p. 9-10.


23
Activities

UBefore Seeing the Play

6. A Scene Study Activity
Use the scene Excerpt from Nother Courage and Her Children (p. 7-8) for a scene study
activity. This will require teams of four or five students to play the roles, with perhaps another
student to coordinate the team and work as director. After some initial readings of the text,
have students give some actions to the characters. Choose a setting, such as a card game, golf
game, inclement weather, etc. Remind students that Brecht's idea was to distance the
audience from the characters so that the arguments could be analyzed dispassionately.
Experiment with several distancing activities such as: use of hand puppets to play the
characters, use of neutral or character masks, reversing the genders of the actors, acting the
scene behind a sheet with only feet showing, acting behind two sheets with only arms and
hands showing. After some rehearsal, have the class present their version of the scene using
one of the above distancing techniques.

7. Enrichment Activity
Allow the students to read the pages on The Thirty Years' War, World War !!, and Today" (p.
19-20). Although the Thirty Years' War of the 17
th
century is rarely discussed now, it resulted in
the greatest loss of life in wartime until the Second World War. Brecht chose to set Nother
Courage and Her Children during this war because the huge carnage and destruction of towns
affected mostly the civilian population. He foresaw that if Hitler's aggressive policies resulted in
a war, there would once again be terrible consequences to the population of Europe. Have the
students discuss the similarities and differences between the two wars covered in this section
and also the similar features of wars in the recent past. Will mankind learn from history or is it
doomed to repeat the same mistake over and over?

S. Another Enrichment Activity
!ntroduce the students to some quotations taken from the play and their explanations (p. 15-
16). Have the students jot down quotations from the play which they find meaningful when
they see the production. Why did these fragments stand out and how do they illustrate the
themes of the play?

9. Students should be given a copy of page 12, Things to Watch for in the Production".
Keeping these events and concepts in mind will help them be drawn into the production.

10. Any trip to the theatre should also involve the students learning proper theatre
etiquette while at the NAC. A handout is available on page 25. UPlease photocopy
and distribute to students.


24
Activities

UAfter Seeing the Play

11. Topics for Class Discussion on the Production (students may want to review the
material About the Play" (p. 2-6).
Style of acting chosen for this play; the use of song, dance and movement.
Themes explored - what was it about? (Refer to pages 5-6 About the Play - Najor
Themes" to spark discussion.)
Production aspects:-
UCostumesU - How well did they define time period, location, character? Did colour play a
role?
USetU - How well did it define location? What mood did it convey? How well did the
actors use the set? How did it change in appearance as the play progressed?
ULightingU - What did it add besides making the action visible?
USound and NusicU - How did the music add atmosphere and mood?
Relevance of this story set hundreds of years ago in Europe to today's Canadian
audiences.

12. Topics for Class Discussion on Brecht's play
How good a mother is Nother Courage? How courageous is she? What is her attitude
toward her children when there is a conflict of interest?
All good Catholics here," says the Protestant Chaplain in Scene 3. What is the role of
religion in this play, which is set during a religious war?
How do we learn about Kattrin given that she has no lines? How does she grow? Why
do you think Brecht chose to make her dumb?
!n the framework of epic theatre", discuss the songs in the show and what role they
have.
Considering that Brecht wanted his audience above all to critically analyze the characters
and their decisions, and that emotional involvement was secondary, how did this
production involve the emotions (laughter, pathos) and did that interfere with the critical
analysis?
Discuss the character of the Cook and how he fits into Brecht's idea of feeding the
war".
How is Nother Courage a timely play for us today? Have we learned the lesson of war?

13. Write a Play Review. While the production is still fresh in their minds, have students
review Nother Courage and Her Children.
UFor older studentsU have them refer to play reviews in The Ottawa Citizen or Xpress to give
them an idea of the standard approach to theatrical criticism. You'll find an outline for writing a
review on page 12 of the Study Guide for The `vaudevilles' of Chekhov found in the NAC
website http:ffwww.artsalive.cafenfethfactivitiesf. Theatre Ontario has an excellent guide at
http:fftheatreontario.orgfcontentfplay_reviews.htm. Students should refer to their program (if
supplied) or Who Helped Put the Production Together?" (p. 1) for correct production
information. A review should cover, in general and more specifically when merited: design
elements (lighting, sound, set and costumes), performances, direction, text (basic narrative,
dialogue and the central themes).

25

Theatre Etiquette

Please take a moment to prepare the students for their visit to the National Arts Centre to
explain what good Theatre Etiquette is and why it will enhance the enjoyment of the play by
all audience members:

1. Nother Courage and Her Children will be performed in the Theatre of the NAC. Natines at
the NAC are for students UandU the general public. !t is important for everyone to be quiet (no
talking or rustling of materials) during the performance so others do not lose their immersion in
the world of the play". Unlike movies, the actors in live theatre can hear disturbances in the
audience and will give their best performances when they feel the positive involvement of the
audience members. The appropriate way of showing approval for the actors' performances is
through laughter and applause. For the enjoyment of all, people who disturb others during the
show may be asked to leave the Theatre.

2. !f you plan to make notes on the play for the purposes of writing a review, please do not try
to write them during the performance, as this can be distracting for the actors. Wait until
intermission or after the performance is finished to write your reflections, please.

3. !t is important that there be no electronic devices used in the Theatre so that the
atmosphere of the play is not interrupted and others are not disturbed. Cell phones, pagers
and anything that beeps must be turned off. Cameras and all other recording
devices are not permitted in the Theatre.

4. Tickets with assigned seats will be distributed by your teacher and to avoid confusion it is
important to sit in the designated seat. !n the Theatre all even numbered seats are on the left
side and all odd numbered seats are on the right. This means that seats 10 and 12, for
example, are actually side by side.

5. Programs may or may not be distributed at this student matine. Some programs can be
made available to teachers if desired with names of the artists. The program may also be used
as a teaching aid to show how a program is put together.

6. The running time of the production is currently estimated at 2 hours +5 minutes, including
one intermission. !t is advisable to make a trip to the washroom before the performance starts,
as anyone leaving while the play is in progress runs the risk of not being allowed back into the
Theatre.


26


National Arts Centre programmes for schools made possible in part by

7be HotIeoI Veutb od EducotIe 7rutt
:uorted by Found|nq ortner 1LU5, 5un L|fe F|nonc|o|,
M|choe| otter ond Vron|que Dh|eux,
:uorter: ond otron: of the onnuo| NAC Co|o,
ond the donor: of NAC Foundot|on': Cororote C|ub ond Donor:' C|rc|e.



HotIeoI Artt Cetre PeudotIe