They call her Mother Courage, and she’s proud of it ” being a legend in her own time.
Though she drives a hard bargain and manages to keep her family fed by scavenging 17th century battlefields and army camps, her timing is off a bit. Regarding her motives and possible heroism, one lurches from admiration to skepticism in Bertolt Brecht’s ironic, sardonic anti-war parable, “Mother Courage and Her Children,” which is set between 1624 and 1636 during the Thirty Years’ War.
In any wartime, Mother Courage is the omnipresent profiteer, and so are other denizens of Brecht’s classic piece, which has undeniable, sad resonance, perhaps now more than ever.
Directed by Lisa Peterson and continuing through July 23 at the Mandell Weiss Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, the co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a must-see visually and aurally, with a crackerjack company that comprises seasoned actors and a number of impressive youngsters from the master of fine arts program at the University of California, San Diego.
The title role could not be in better hands than those of Ivonne Coll, who is known to Playhouse audiences for her incandescent performance in “Adoration of the Old Woman,” for which she received a 2002 Craig Noel Award from the San Diego Critics Circle. Who would have thought she could sing Gina Leishman’s songs like that, in such an earthy, chesty and thoroughly intelligible way?
Nearly everyone sings a solo number in the piece, which is performed in 12 scenes with an equal number of appropriate, period-feel, music hall pieces.
I’m a great fan of Leishman, whose devastatingly beautiful opera, “Burning Dreams,” was seen at San Diego Repertory Theatre. She also scored Geoff Hoyle’s “Feast of Fools,” seen more recently at the Playhouse.
The entire company is intelligible, thanks to Jill BC DuBoff’s well modulated sound design, so subtle that one is unaware of individual amplification. However, the actors bear the primary responsibility for the excellent diction and the ease with which they communicate Sir David Hare’s adaptation. As the piece heads more and more toward music hall parody, Peterson allows individual characters to remain true to themselves, without affecting the “attitude” one frequently finds associated with the style.
In no particular order, other standout performers are Katie Barrett, the good-hearted camp follower; Scott Drummond and Ryan Shams as Mother Courage’s two sons; Hilary Ward as her daughter Kattrin; James Eckhouse as Cook; and Patrick Kerr as the Chaplain who allows himself to be used by her.
Others in the multi-talented, multi-discipline company are Mark Danisovszky (piano/accordion), Brent Hinkley, Brian Hostenske, Marc Damon Johnson and Jonathan Piper (tuba/ensemble).
Noteworthy contributions are made by scenic designer Rachel Hauck, costume designer David Zinn and lighting designer March Dilliard.
“Mother Courage and Her Children” continues through July 23 at La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, on the campus of the University of California, San Diego, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 7 p.m. Sunday, with matinees at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets are $40 to $52, with discounts for seniors 62 and older, students and the military.
For tickets and information visit www.lajollaplayhouse.com or call (858) 550-1010.