Wright State Theatre presents Bertolt Brecht's epic drama Mother Courage and Her Children with music by Paul Dessau, opening February 7 in the Festival Playhouse.  This seldom-performed drama tells the tale of Mother Courage and her three children, accompanying troupes during Europe's devastating 30-Year's War.  Heralded as one of the greatest anti-war dramas ever written, Mother Courage is a tale of courage and survival, and was the inspiration for Fiddler on the Roof (staged in an acclaimed production by Wright State in the 2016-2017 season).  The title role has been performed by some of the leading actresses of modern times, including Oscar-winners Meryl Streep, Anne Bancroft, Judi Dench, and Olympia Dukakis.  The Wright State production is directed by W. Stuart McDowell (Artistic Director of Theatre in the WSU department), and is inspired by the first Berlin production of 1949, based on photos and interviews that McDowell conducted with actresses who performed the original productions Mother Courage.   

The production is part of a year-long study of "The Cost of War," sponsored by Wright State's CELIA and the 21st Century Peace Literacy Foundation and the Dayton Peace Museum.   Orchestral music for the production is conducted by Steven Aldredge, Instructor of Piano, Music Theory and Composition at the Wright State School of Music.  

A panel discussion related to this production will take place in the Creative Arts Center (room TBA) on Wednesday, February 13th, 7pm at 5:30 PM featuring special guest artists from Israel, and be lead by Prof. Peter Harris, Chair of the Theatre Studies Department at the Western Galilee Academic College and a lecturer at Tel Aviv University Theatre Arts dept.   This is sponsored by the Jewish Family Services of Dayton.

For tickets and theatre information call the Box Office at (937) 775-2500, or purchase single tickets online at http://www.wright.edu/theatre-tickets.

For group sales, call Victoria Oleen, 937-775-3789