Carthage Theatre presents: Mother Courage and Her Children

“Mother Courage and Her Children,” written by Bertolt Brecht and directed by Mary MacDonald Kerr, will run for two weekends at Carthage College, 2001 Alford Park Drive.

The opening performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, in the Wartburg Theatre, located in the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Natural and Social Sciences. Additional shows are planned at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4, 5, and 9-11, as well as 3 p.m. Nov. 5.

As one of Brecht’s greatest protests to the rise of fascism in 1930s Germany, the play is a dark satire about the effect war has on the people living through it. Told over 12 years, the story follows Mother Courage and her three children during the Thirty Years’ War, a bloody battle between Catholics and Protestants in the crumbling Holy Roman Empire.

Despite being decidedly against the war, she profits from it by selling supplies to soldiers. When tragedy strikes her family. Mother Courage must push forward to survive the tribulations of her chaotic world.

The show features a new score by composer and lyricist Joshua Schmidt. He is best known for his 2007 musical “Adding Machine”, which was nominated for Drama Desk awards and experienced significant off-Broadway success.

Kerr returns to Carthage as a guest director, following her production of “Urinetown” in the 2015-16 season. Her unique take on Brecht’s classic brings forth the true grit of a world at war and invites audiences to evaluate the true costs of conflict.

Kerr has been a prominent figure in the Milwaukee theatre scene, both as actress and director. She has directed such productions as “Crimes of the Heart”, “Beast on the Moon”, and the upcoming production of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” at the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre.

Tickets for “Mother Courage and Her Children” can be purchased online at www.carthage.edu/tickets  or at the box office. Prices are $14 for adults, $10 for seniors (55 and over), and $8 for students with a valid ID.

For more information, contact the box office at oee@carthage.edu or 262-551-6661.