Introduction

Transcript

INTRODUCTION In 1993 Scottish CCC published a series of Higher Drama background information packs about Mother Courage and her Children and eight other prescribed plays. Under the impetus of the Higher Still development programme, these packs are now supplemented by a series of learning and teaching guides to the prescribed plays. The new material has been written both as a resource for teachers and as a study aid for students working on Unit 2 (Study of a Text in its Theatrical Context) of Higher Drama. Section A provides a list of the features of each key scene or episode in Mother Courage and her Children which would be important in any production of the play. It also provides space for the student to record why each key scene would be important in his/her intended production. Section B provides a directory of possible acting pieces in terms of casting, suitable length and specific challenges to the actor. All textual references are to the recommended edition of the text which is published by Methuen, in translation by John Willett, entitled Mother Courage and her Children, by Bertolt Brecht. The chapter headings which introduce each scene are taken from this edition. Other resources for teaching this unit include the following: • The Arrangements for Drama published in 1997 containing details of content, suggested learning and teaching approaches, guidance on assessment and unit descriptors. • The Subject Guide for Drama, the first instalment of which was published in 1997, includes guidance on learning and teaching in general, bi-level teaching, differentiation, workshop approaches to the text, health and safety guidelines, and ensuring appropriate access for students with special education needs. • The National Assessment Bank packages published in 1998 for each unit of Drama include all checklists, task sheets, marking instructions and guidance necessary to carry out the internal assessment of each unit. • A video published in 1998 exemplifies standards of practical performance for Investigative Drama (Unit 1) and for Acting in both Study of a Text in its Theatrical Context (Unit 2) and Contemporary Scottish Theatre (Unit 3). DR AMA 1 INTRODUCTION Epic vs Dramatic Theatre Epic Theatre presents you with: Dramatic Theatre presents you with: - narrative - drama as an inquiry - man as alterable and altering - focuses eyes on the course of the action - each scene is able to stand alone - uses montage - develops in curves - proceeds in sudden leaps - man is seen as a process - social being determines thought - reason - a plot - drama as an experience - man as unalterable - focuses eyes on the finish - each scene leads on to the next - uses growth - has a linear development - proceeds with evolutionary inevitability - man is seen as fixed - thought determines social being - feeling In Epic Theatre, the spectator: In Dramatic Theatre, the spectator: - becomes an observer - is forced to make decisions - is confronted with something - is presented with an argument - is aroused towards action - is brought to the point of recognition - stands aside and studies - is given a picture of the world - is involved in a stage action - is allowed to have feeling - is involved in something - is presented with suggestion - has his capacity for action consumed - has his/her feelings preserved - experiences with the characters - is given an experience of the world 2 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SECTION A SCENE 1 (pages 3-13) Spring 1624. The Swedish Commander-in-Chief, Count Oxenstierna is raising troops in Dalecarlia for the Polish campaign. The canteen woman, Anna Fierling, known under the name of Mother Courage, loses one son to the army. Why would Scene 1 be important in any production of the play? Provides the context of the play and gives background to the narrative • In the opening duologue between the Recruiter and the Sergeant we learn that we are on the threshold of a fresh war but new recruits are proving hard to come by. Our natural perspective on war is challenged as the conversation unfolds and the virtues of war are highlighted. There is order in war. • Mother Courage enters with her three children on her cart and introduces herself through a song as a businesswoman who clothes and nourishes soldiers - at a price - so that they might fight well in battle. Immediately we are clear about her position, her role in this process of war. • Through the direct use of song and the convention of characters meeting for the first time, we quickly learn a lot about the characters of the title. We learn of the unconventional fathering of the children. The military representatives demand papers as proof of identity and as confirmation of the right of Courage and her family to be part of this war. • It is not long before Mother Courage tries to make a sale, and for the first time we see the shrewd businesswoman at work. The military’s hunger for recruits gets in the way of her sale however, and they try to persuade her son, Eilif, to sign up. As their encouragement begins to take effect, Mother Courage - while claiming that she and her family are ‘peaceable folk’ pulls a knife on the Recruiter to indicate she means business. She is not sacrificing her children to the war. DR AMA 3 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • Mother Courage tries another tactic and pretends to have second sight, to see the mark of death upon her family, thereby rendering them poor recruits. She carries out the lottery of the black crosses to make her point. Ironically, in an attempt to prevent her children from being fed to the war, she secures their fate. • Having identified Mother Courage’s weakness, and having registered Eilif’s interest, the Recruiter plans to use his own tactics to get the recruits he needs. He too is unable to resist the temptation of a business transaction, and while her back is turned, Mother Courage loses her son, Eilif, to the war. We are left with the Sergeant’s words which in many ways sum up the message of the play: Like the war to nourish you? Have to feed it something too. Illustration of themes and issues • This scene is significant because it introduces the four main themes of the play. War is introduced as the stage upon which the drama will unfold. Brecht forces us early in the first scene to question the picture of war as painted by the two soldiers. That it is viewed by them as something desirable and orderly goes against our natural perception and shocks us into examining closely the whole concept of war. As this Epic drama unfolds, the theme of war will be regularly examined by characters we meet in the play. War is what has thrown them together. It is what they have in common. It is what they need to survive. • The central theme of capitalism is established early on in Mother Courage’s introductory song and is explored further in her description of herself as a businesswoman. We quickly learn that her aim is to get her cart and her children safely through the war. As early as Scene 1 we see that she has to pay for the business deals she makes and the price in this case is her eldest son. • This first loss heralds the future loss of her other two children who also draw a black cross in the lottery charade. Thus Mother Courage’s philosophy for survival is immediately questioned. She has failed to achieve her stated aim even before the end of Scene 1. • Motherhood is another theme that is introduced in this scene. Our normal expectations of parenthood are highlighted and called into question as we discover that each of her three children has a different father. By the end of the scene, Courage’s capitalist philosophy and the responsibilities of motherhood are already in conflict with one another. Despite her maternal instinct to protect her children from the war, she loses Eilif to it before the end of the scene. 4 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Introduces key characters • The function of the Recruiter and the Sergeant at the outset is to set the scene for the play. Brecht uses this duologue to explore and question the conventional perspectives of war, and to establish one of the major themes from the very start. Although they are probably from the same social class as Courage, their role in the war process has clearly determined their perspective. In relation to Courage, they believe their social status is greater than hers and this assumption is highlighted for our observation. They are also used as a theatrical device to introduce and establish the background of the major characters. • Mother Courage, the main protagonist of the play, is introduced in this scene. She is a strong stage presence from the moment she appears, informing us directly through her song about her work and her thoughts about this war. As the scene unfolds and we learn about her family and how she got her name, her character is clearly established. She shows herself to be both a ruthless businesswoman and a protective mother - determined to make a living from the war, while at the same time keeping her children out of it. She is not intimidated by the status of the Recruiter or the Sergeant. Her attitude clearly tells us that she believes she has every right to be there, and has just as important a role to play in this war as they have. She is portrayed as a strong, shrewd, witty personality - all qualities which she brings into play throughout the drama in her determination to survive at all costs. Survival is the key to her motivation. In this scene we already see that her desire for the successful sale of a belt, meaning financial profit, is the focus of all her concentration and her maternal instincts are cast aside. Such is the strength of her capitalist philosophy. Yet already she is paying the price before the scene is complete. Eilif is the price. • The elder son, Eilif, is portrayed as being loyal and protective towards his mother when we first meet him. Labelled as the brave one by his mother, the ‘dashing son’, he is full of bravado and keen to pick a fight. Though undecided about signing up as a recruit until the close of the scene, he is eventually swayed by the prospect of bounty money. In some ways this motivation reflects that of his mother, and yet it is such motivation that tears him from the family unit. • Swiss Cheese, the younger son, is shown to be loyal too and obedient to his mother. His presence in this scene is significant in that he does not put up a fight or warn his mother of Eilif’s departure. He is described by his mother as the honest but simple son. • Kattrin, the dumb daughter, is a passive but strong presence in this first scene. She is loyal and reliable, described by her mother as having a kind heart. DR AMA 5 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Points to consider • It is important to note that, ironically, this is the only scene in which we see Mother Courage and all her children together. The family unit is intact for only a very short time, and this is the beginning of its disintegration. Elements of Epic Theatre • As with each of the scenes in this play our focus is on the course of the action having been informed of the end results of the scene within the introductory outline. • We are forced to question our natural reactions to certain concepts in the scene: - the idea of war being orderly, creating a sense of morality - the idea of peace creating havoc, chaos - the assumption that three children from the one family should have the same father - the humorous play on the term ‘papers’ by Mother Courage highlights their purpose and questions our assumed interpretation of the term - the philosophy that you can make a living from war and thrive on its existence - the idea that you have to feed something to the war if you want to get something from it. • As spectators we are already being forced to stand aside and question what is happening. • Argument is repeatedly used to highlight issues. • We are already aware of the choices that are being made and their consequences - and, as importantly, of the choices that are not made. Distancing devices employed • Use of song to reinforce the action or character or theme and to break the illusion of reality. • Directly addressing the audience - to emphasise a key point and also to break the illusion of reality. • The Epic Theatre elements outlined above. 6 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Why might Scene 1 be important in your production of the play? • As a director, what themes and issues would you want to highlight in this first scene? • How do you want the audience to feel towards Mother Courage in this scene? Bearing in mind Brecht’s theories on acting in relation to the distancing effect, how will this affect the acting of this character? • How will this scene introduce your own directorial concepts? What are they? • What elements of Epic Theatre would you want to employ in this scene? Describe how you would do this. • As a director, do you think it is important for your audience to be aware of the political background against which the play was set? If so, how would you make the audience aware of this? • How would you make the universal, political message of the play relevant to today’s audience through the set design? • How would you direct those actors playing the parts of Eilif, Swiss Cheese, and Kattrin? What initial impression would you want to convey to the audience of these characters? Notes DR AMA 7 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY 8 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 2 (pages 13-20) In the years 1625 and 1626 Mother Courage crosses Poland in the train of the Swedish armies. Before the fortress of Wallhof she meets her son again. Successful sale of a capon and heyday of her dashing son. Why would Scene 2 be important in any production of the play? Develops narrative • In the kitchen of the Swedish camp in front of the fortress of Wallhof, Mother Courage is trying to sell a capon at an exorbitant price to the Dutch Cook. We see Mother Courage display her business skills with wit and humour through light-hearted banter with the cook. Their conversation reveals a mutual abhorrance of war but reliance on it for their livelihood. • Eilif is brought into the General’s tent and we learn that he is being commended for his bravery. On recognising the voice of her lost son, Mother Courage quickly takes advantage of the meal to be prepared in Eilif’s honour, turning the potential family reunion into an opportunity to make a healthy profit. She convinces the Cook to purchase the capon at a steep price. For the second time in the play, the attraction of the profit to be made in a business deal comes before family. • We learn the details of Eilif’s heroic deed as Mother Courage plucks the capon in the kitchen. She undermines the virtue of bravery being celebrated by Eilif and the General, warning us that bravery will be Eilif’s downfall. In her opinion, if the Generals could do their job properly, there would be no need for brave soldiers. • Eilif sings the ‘Song of the Girl and the Soldier’ which denounces bravery as stupidity and fatal. This song could be seen as Eilif’s death toll as it is such bravery that causes his death further on in the play. Eilif’s mother joins in the song, describing the young soldier’s predictable death and admonishing those who stubbornly ignore the wisdom of their elders. DR AMA 9 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • Mother Courage and her son are reunited. Eilif hugs his mother and is rewarded with a slap in the face for putting himself in danger for the sake of heroism. Eilif is cut down to size by his mother. His behaviour is in conflict with her natural instinct for survival at all costs, and he is reprimanded physically and verbally for something he was glorified for just moments before. Further illustrations of themes and issues • The theme war is further explored. Its glories and horrors are juxtaposed through the contrasting perceptions of the characters. The Chaplain’s presence reminds us that this is a war of religion. • Mother Courage’s capitalism is explored further in this, the second most lengthy business deal in the play. Her willingness to exploit any situation for the sake of maximum financial profit is underlined. • The virtue of bravery is examined in this scene from two perspectives. Eilif’s courage, shrewdness and murderous activity are viewed by himself and the General as qualities to be glorified, honoured and rewarded within the context of war. Mother Courage views this bravery as a vice which she predicts will bring about Eilif’s downfall. This also highlights the idea that is developed further, as each child is lost to the war because of their indulgence in their respective virtues. Virtues are seen as dangerous qualities. • The class system is a theme which is dealt with directly in this scene. Although Mother Courage observes that the General must be rotten if he has need of brave soldiers, she does not criticise the class system and hierarchy which shapes the society she is part of. Brecht, however, does criticise it implicitly in his very coarse portrayal of the General. In this he is making a very obvious comment on the Capitalist society which allows such hierarchies to exist. Development of character and relationships • This is the Cook’s first appearance on stage. The scene serves to establish the beginning of a tender, mutually respectful relationship between the Cook and Mother Courage - for his part based on the pleasures of bargaining, and on his admiration for her ready tongue and the shrewdness with which she exploits for business purposes the honouring of her son. She is amused by his stubborn determination not to give up and by the passion with which he handles the capon. Already we see glimpses of his Don Juan nature, which is later referred to by the jealous Chaplain. • We are also introduced to the General. Although this is his only appearance, the General’s presence is nevertheless significant. His purpose here is crudely 10 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY to personify the ruling classes who routinely and patronisingly honour the younger soldiers. He is blustering and pompous. His presence provides a contrast with the earnest naivety of Eilif, and is highlighted by Mother Courage’s disparaging analysis of his weakness as a General. • Eilif’s naïve desire for heroism exposed in Scene 1 is realised in this scene. In the presence of the General he is allowed to revel in murder and his bravery is extolled. His passion for relating the details of his deeds is fuelled by the General’s encouragement and he gets quite carried away with his own heroism. The war dance accompanying Eilif’s song could be seen as a dance of death. Eilif’s behaviour when reunited with his mother shows a marked contrast to the dashing hero relating his tale. He becomes like a young boy - in the language he uses and in his desire to impress his mother. He is consequently shocked by her reaction. • The Chaplain is also introduced in this scene and his presence is there to remind us that this is a war of religion. He is however treated with disdain by the General and this is indicative of the role religion plays in such a war - it is dealt with cynically and with little respect. Elements of Epic Theatre • Again we are forced to consider the course of the action having been informed of the outcome of the scene within the introductory outline. • Two years have passed since Scene 1. This timeleap begins to establish the pattern for this narrative - it happens in leaps and bounds and is not necessarily linear. • We are forced to question our natural reactions to certain concepts in the scene: - the idea of a virtue being an undesirable and dangerous quality - the almost immoral length which Courage will go to in order to make a good profit. Distancing devices employed • The use of song and dance to highlight a theme or issue being explored within the scene - ‘The Song of the Girl and the Soldier’ illustrates clearly the fatal results of virtue. It also breaks the illusion of reality. • The theatrical convention of presenting two locations on the stage at once, and two conversations being delivered intermittently, is taken to an extreme in this scene - again this breaks the illusion of reality. • The Epic Theatre elements outlined above. DR AMA 11 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Why might Scene 2 be important in your production of the play? • How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene? • How would you stage this scene keeping in mind the two locations required and Brecht’s ideas on distancing? • What kind of relationship would you wish to establish between the Cook and Mother Courage? How would you achieve this? • What key issues would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you achieve this? • What is the relationship between the General and Eilif and how would it be portrayed? • How would you convey the humour of the dialogue between the Cook and Mother Courage in the first half of the scene? • How would you direct the scene between the two characters who were not talking while the other two were engaged in conversation? Would you use freezing the action, mime or theatre technology? Notes 12 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY DR AMA 13 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 3 (pages 21-42) Three years later Mother Courage is taken prisoner along with elements of a Finnish regiment. She manages to save her daughter, likewise her covered cart, but her honest son is killed. Late summer - 1629 Why would Scene 3 be important in any production of the play? Develops narrative This scene is divided into 4 parts: Part 1: The Surprise Attack • At the opening of this scene, Mother Courage is to be found black marketing in ammunition. Although she initially refuses to become involved in such a crooked deal, the armourer’s desperation to rid himself of the bag of shot allows her to take advantage. Integrity is forgotten, and she buys it from him at a cheap price. • We learn that Swiss Cheese has become paymaster because of his honest personality. Mother Courage is nevertheless concerned about her younger son’s stupidity, even if she is pleased that war is off to a lucrative start for her. • This business venture is contrasted with domesticity in this scene - Kattrin and her mother hang out washing, and Yvette, the camp whore, is sewing a hat. Yet such domesticity can be viewed as preparation for business. Yvette is moaning about her profession and recalls the betrayal of her first love. Courage encourages Yvette to expose the betrayal she suffered as a warning to the idealistic and romantic Kattrin and she does so in her ‘Song of Fraternisation’. • The Chaplain and the Cook have now become part of the little group and both engage in a political analysis of the war. Courage enjoys the banter and flirts with them both before offering her own thoughts on this war of religion: she sees through the hypocrisy of those who claim to be waging 14 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY war for Almighty God but who, like her, are in it for what they can get. It is ironic that she includes herself as one of the hypocrites. • Kattrin meanwhile has put on Yvette’s hat and is mimicking her way of walking in an attempt to assert her own femininity and desirability. • A surprise attack is made on the group, and the chaplain is forced to hide his religious beliefs by disguising himself in a cloak. Yvette is suddenly energised into activity at the prospect of new business clients. Swiss Cheese’s status of paymaster is suddenly no longer desirable, and his honesty in protecting the regimental cash box becomes a liability. Part 2: The Arrest of the Honest Son • Time passes and we find the little group eating their first meal in the Catholic camp. They have literally switched camps. For his own survival, the Chaplain has had to adopt the role of Courage’s pot-boy. The cashbox weighs heavily on Swiss Cheese’s conscience as his instinctive honesty compels him to return it to its rightful owners. • As Courage and the Chaplain leave to buy up stores and a protective Catholic flag the atmosphere changes. Left alone, Kattrin and Swiss Cheese share a tender and innocent conversation about the changing seasons. His mind made up, Swiss Cheese decides to return the cashbox. When Kattrin sees the spy behind the cart she tries to warn him and prevent him from being caught as he fetches the box from its hiding place. But she fails, and after an earnest struggle to interpret Kattrin’s frantic signs and sounds, he kisses her and runs off. We realise that he is running straight into danger. • On Mother Courage’s return with the Chaplain, Kattrin manages to show them what has happened. Swiss Cheese is brought in by the spy and the man with the patch and both he and his mother deny knowing each other. Swiss Cheese is taken away to be tortured into revealing the whereabouts of the cashbox. Part 3: The Bargaining • Time is running out for Swiss Cheese and Courage is frantically trying to think of how to raise the money with which to buy her son’s life from the corruptible military. With the help of Yvette she tries to mortgage her wagon, her livelihood. Yvette convinces a doting old Colonel to rent the cart and with this financial security in place, Yvette is sent off to negotiate for Swiss Cheese’s life. • The extended family unit is now under siege, and the atmosphere is tense as they continue with domestic chores. On Yvette’s first return, Courage DR AMA 15 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY stands her ground, refusing to give up her cart entirely, and the haggling continues over her son’s life. On her second return, after another failed attempt at bargaining, Yvette is urged to offer the full amount. With a sudden utterance in the stillness, Courage knows that she ‘bargained too long’ and the volley that kills Swiss Cheese rings out. Part 4: The Denial • Yvette returns with details of the death, and we learn that they are bringing the body for a second time to be identified by Courage. Kattrin is not to be spared the ordeal and they are presented with the body of Swiss Cheese. In order not to give herself away, Courage is forced to deny him. Further illustration of themes and issues • Through an unwillingness to become involved in what she initially describes as a ‘crooked’ deal with the armourer, we see that when the price is right, Courage’s greed for profit takes over and scruples are forgotten. Despite the threat of attack, Courage’s first thought is to save her washing. Material goods mean money, mean profit. Concern for her family comes second. This reinforces her motivation throughout. When they are taken prisoner later, Courage admits that as prisoners, they are parasites, living like fleas on dogs. Without the dog (the war), the fleas (they themselves), could not survive. As she voices this analogy Courage is condoning the situation. As the scene unfolds, Mother Courage is forced to haggle for the life of her son. This process highlights her capitalist values to the extreme. Three times she is prepared to reconsider the price, proposing new deals, trying to clinch the best deal she can. At each instance, she is weighing up the value of her cart and the security it offers against the life of her son. In this scene, Brecht is presenting us with a very blatant and ugly picture of the mechanics of capitalist business. That she keeps her cart (her material goods), but loses her son, is significant. • The lively discussion about war between Courage, the Chaplain and the Cook reveals a very cynical view of the motivation of the leaders and indeed of the consequences of their actions. Courage sums this up when she says ‘To go by what the big shots say, they’re waging war for almighty God and in the name of everything that’s good and lovely. But look closer, they ain’t so silly. They’re waging it for what they can get. Else little folk like me wouldn’t be in it at all.’ In this short but significant speech, Courage is summing up one of the main messages of the play: that war is a continuation of business by other means. • For the second time, virtues - in this case Swiss Cheese’s honesty - are perceived by Courage as being destructive. Swiss Cheese’s admission to being ‘responsible’ is seen by Mother Courage as dangerous. She twists the virtuous qualities of his honesty and his conscientious attitude into vices that 16 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY he must rid himself of before they destroy him. As with Eilif, this prediction comes true and we are forced to look again at her perception of virtues, at the reasoning behind her argument. • It is ironic that in order to protect herself, Courage is forced literally to deny her motherhood, to deny that Swiss Cheese is her son. This happens firstly when he is brought before her by the soldiers, and secondly when she is presented with his corpse for identification at the end of the scene. That she is able on both occasions to steel herself and, showing no emotion, disown her son, is significant. Only once, as he is being dragged off roughly by the soldiers, does she let us glimpse her maternal side as she shouts to them not to twist his arms. Development of character and relationships • This scene introduces Yvette, the camp whore, for the first time. We learn that an early betrayal of her affection has developed in her a cynicism about love. Her song shows us that the business aspect of love is best. Any other form of love leads to trouble. We are made aware early on that she and Courage are very alike in their attitude to war. They use it to their advantage, to make a living in order to survive. Both have something to sell. When needed, Yvette is initially glad to help Courage raise the money for Swiss Cheese’s ransom. But it was also a business deal. The cart was to be a reward for her if her skills at manipulating the affections of her Colonel paid off. Yvette enjoys role playing, and we see the skill with which she switches the charm on and off as she negotiates the deal between Courage and the Colonel. She too is a skilled businesswoman and there is a mutual respect between the two women. Although she is willing to haggle on behalf of her friend, Yvette becomes angry as she learns of Courage’s attempt to swindle her by paying her from the lost regimental cashbox. Her anger turns to disgust as the haggling is pushed to its limit and Courage betrays her son. • Swiss Cheese is shown to be gentle and kind as well as honest at the beginning of this scene. The interaction between Kattrin and Swiss Cheese produces an innocence and tenderness in the relationship between the two. Mother Courage’s instruction to be honest because he is not bright is taken literally by Swiss Cheese. In his striving to live up to this one virtue, Swiss Cheese believes he is doing the right thing by returning the cashbox. His focus on this prevents him from considering the danger in which he will place himself. In the poignant scene where he kisses Kattrin goodbye, the audience is aware that Courage’s prophecy for her son is about to come true. He is walking out of the scene to his inevitable destruction. Ironically, he himself is not without bravery, as he reveals in the end. He does not give himself or his mother away when they are forced to acknowledge each other. DR AMA 17 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • This is Kattrin’s first significant appearance, and we begin to learn about her motivation. She is portrayed as a young woman who dreams of love, and the prospect of a husband after the war feeds her hopes and dreams. Within this context of war however, the only form of love available is prostitution - as represented in the boots and hat belonging to Yvette which are the tools of her trade. Kattrin refuses to be swayed by the cynicism of her mother and Yvette, and tries out the hat and boots - allowing herself to indulge in her own femininity for a short time. Her compassion and tenderness are illustrated in the scene with her brother as described above. • The Colonel’s appearance in this scene is brief but significant. His function is to illustrate the price that Yvette must pay for her success in life - her business prosperity. Consequently he is shown as loathsome and lecherous. • Mother Courage is relentlessly active throughout this scene - whether hanging out washing, serving meals, making business deals, or haggling for the life of her son. However, there is a marked change between Mother Courage at the beginning and at the end of the scene. The confident, shrewd businesswoman who makes the best of all situations becomes a woman in turmoil as she struggles to hang on to her cart and her son’s life. Just before she loses Swiss Cheese, she realises she has haggled for too long. That she is prepared to haggle for her son’s life at all seems incredible, and this is reinforced further by her ability to deny him when faced with his dead body. • Different aspects of the Chaplain’s personality are shown in this scene. In the opening discussion with the Cook and Courage, he speaks eloquently and with conviction about the blessing of being killed in such a war of faith. His immediate fear for his own safety and demand for a means by which to disguise his religion when they are attacked, shows that he is not prepared to uphold this ideal in practice. This is supported by his admission of being unable to hold a service after they have been taken prisoner, as it might make trouble for him. When Swiss Cheese’s life is under threat, the Chaplain is concerned about where the money will come from with which to survive. He is very dependent on Courage for his comforts - both in food and companionship. In this way, the Chaplain is very like Courage. Despite his great idealistic, spiritual theories, when it comes to the crucial point, such ideology is abandoned and the Chaplain reveals himself to be weak and pathetic - self-preservation being his driving force. Elements of Epic Theatre • Again our focus is on the course of the action rather than the outcome of the scene. 18 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • Again we are forced to question our natural reactions to certain ideas: - the idea of ‘love making the world go round’ - being used as a warning to Kattrin by Mother Courage - the idea of not trusting someone because they are a friend - as stated by the armourer - the fact that Swiss Cheese’s honesty and desire to do the right thing leads to his death - that Swiss Cheese should be found guilty of being conscientious by his mother - causing Mother Courage to become quite nervous - the reinforcement of the idea that good can be found in war - when Courage remarks that war is off to a good start - the notion that, as Courage insists, being dumb is a godsend - the idea that to fall in battle in a war of faith is considered to be a blessing. • This scene bombards us with the decisions being made by the main characters, particularly Swiss Cheese and Mother Courage. Their motivation and the consequences of their actions are highlighted very directly. • The key issues being explored are heightened considerably. • Three years have passed since the previous scene - showing again that the action happens in leaps and bounds. Distancing devices employed • The use of song to highlight a theme or issue being explored with the scene: - The ‘Song of Fraternisation’ is sung by Yvette at Mother Courage’s request to warn Kattrin against love. - The ‘Song of Hours’ which is sung by the Chaplain, narrating the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus, compares the fate of Swiss Cheese with that of Christ. • The passing of time and the changes in set requirements and action which occur three times within this one scene. • The Epic Theatre elements outlined above. DR AMA 19 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Why would Scene 3 be important in your production of the play? • How does this scene develop your overall directorial interpretation? • In terms of set and staging, how would you incorporate the changes in time, place and action demanded by this scene? • Given the contrasting mood and atmosphere between the beginning and end of this scene, what notes would you give to the actor playing Courage? • What relationships would you want to establish and develop between the following pairs of characters: - the Chaplain and the Cook - Yvette and Mother Courage - Swiss Cheese and Mother Courage - Swiss Cheese and Kattrin? How would you achieve this? • How would you direct Part 4 of this scene? • What do you want the audience to think of Mother Courage at the end of this scene? Notes 20 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY DR AMA 21 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 4 (pages 43-47) Mother Courage sings the ‘Song of the Grand Capitulation’. Why would Scene 4 be important in any production of the play? Develops narrative • Mother Courage is waiting outside the Captain’s tent. She has come to complain about damage that has been done to her cart. Against the advice of the clerk, she refuses to leave. • The Young Soldier has come to make a complaint about not receiving a financial reward owed him for rescuing the Captain’s horse. An Old Soldier is trying to prevent him from complaining - his wisdom has taught him of the futility of such action. While agreeing with the motivation for his anger, Courage dissuades him from delivering his complaint. She warns him of the short life of such anger and points out his immediate obedience when ordered to sit down. • As predicted by Mother Courage, the Young Soldier is unable in the end to sustain the anger to fight his case and demand what is due him. He leaves, closely followed by Mother Courage. While convincing the Young Soldier of the pointlessness of his short-lived anger, she has talked herself out of issuing her own complaint. Further illustration of themes and issue • This scene develops one of the main themes of the play - the class struggle and the inability of the lower classes to win against the ruling classes. Within this context, war has defined the hierarchical structure, but Brecht is keen that we see that this is the same in all aspects of society. His Marxist views are strongly reinforced in this analogy. Brecht recognises that the weakness of the lower classes results in their inevitable capitulation and submission. This tendency to capitulate, despite their clear understanding of what is involved, prohibits reward. Neither the Young Soldier nor Mother Courage sustain their determination to demand what is due them, and come away empty-handed. The class divisions are subsequently widened. In many ways this short scene sums up the message of the play - that in wartime the big profits are not made by the little people. 22 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Development of character and relationships • Courage is obstinate and initially bitter as she awaits an audience with the Captain. It is ironic that in teaching the Young Soldier about capitulation through both conversation and song, she learns it herself. She talks herself out of sustaining her bitterness and anger. Courage, inevitably, ends up dejected because she recognises her own weakness and angrily acknowledges that it is because of her class. Through this scene, Brecht is urging us to feel anger at this state of affairs. • Like Courage, the Young Soldier represents the lower classes who have good grounds to demand what is owed them, but who are too weak to sustain the anger and energy to obtain it. • The Old Soldier represents the wisdom of experience among the lower classes. His approach from the outset has been to prevent the Young Soldier from lodging his complaint as he recognises how futile it is. While he physically holds the soldier back, Courage puts her point across verbally. Points to consider • This is the only time we meet the Young Soldier and the Old Soldier. Their function is simply to put across the message described above. Elements of Epic Theatre • Again our focus is on the course of the action in this short but significant scene - not on the outcome. We are forced to examine how the submission comes about and its consequences. • Man is capable of change - here the decision is taken by both Courage and the Young Soldier not to stay and complain. That is their choice. Brecht wants us to feel that they could have chosen differently. • This scene stands very much on its own and in many ways it might have been placed anywhere in the play. Distancing devices employed • Use of song - ‘The Song of the Grand Capitulation’ - to highlight the main theme of the scene: that the lower classes submit to the upper classes because they do not have the power or strength to stand up to them. • The Epic Theatre elements outlined above. DR AMA 23 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Why might Scene 4 be important in your overall interpretation? • How does this scene develop your overall interpretation? • How do you want the audience to feel about Mother Courage by the end of this scene? How will you achieve this? • What relationship do you want to create between Mother Courage and the Young Soldier? • What theme would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you do this? Notes 24 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY DR AMA 25 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 5 (pages 48-50) More time has gone by. The war is spreading to new areas. Ceaselessly on the move, Courage’s little cart crosses Poland, Moravia, Bavaria, Italy, then Bavaria again. Tilly’s victory at Magdeburg costs Mother Courage four officers’ shirts. 1631 - about one year later Why would Scene 5 be important in any production of the play? • In a wrecked peasant’s house after a battle, the Chaplain is attending to the injured. Despite the Chaplain’s cries for linen to bandage wounded and dying peasants, Courage refuses to give up valuable officers’ shirts for this purpose, and she physically blocks the entrance to the cart. • As the wounded are carried from the house, Kattrin can no longer accept her mother’s obstinate refusal to provide bandages, and she challenges her principles by threatening her mother with a plank of wood. The Chaplain intervenes and defuses the confrontation by physically removing Courage. He takes the bandages he needs. • On hearing that there is a baby still alive in the house, Kattrin rushes inside risking her own life to rescue the unknown child. • Courage laments the loss of her shirts and snatches a stolen coat from a soldier who has stolen some schnapps from her. Kattrin rocks the baby in her arms. Further illustration of themes and issues • This scene very directly highlights Mother Courage’s dilemma: she is torn between saving her goods or saving Kattrin - between the capitalist philosophy and human life. It literally shows Courage adhering to capitalist values over the protection and saving of life. Firstly, we see this in her clear refusal to donate linen to help the wounded. Shirts mean money, and money means profit. Secondly, we see her torn between saving her shirts under the threat of them being snatched from her and preventing Kattrin from rushing into a burning house which threatens to collapse in order to save a baby. She is literally and metaphorically caught between the two. 26 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • The concept of motherhood is called up for inspection again in this scene. Courage acts in a way that she believes is right for her and her family. Her main concern is to protect the means of survival - the material goods themselves - at all costs. Her momentary and very significant inability to decide what to save first - her daughter or her shirts - results from the conflict between this ideology and her maternal instincts. It is ironic that Courage, the true mother, hesitates to save her daughter, and yet Kattrin does not hesitate in saving the life of an unknown baby. Kattrin displays more natural maternal instincts than her mother and calls into question the whole concept of Courage’s name. • The spoils of war are also explored here. At the end of the scene, Kattrin joyfully lifts the baby into the air, while Courage rolls up the stolen coat and throws it into the cart. Both women are seen to have their share of the spoils. The one has goods with which to make a sale, a profit; the other has a new life which she cannot hold on to. Development of character and relationships • Having previously lost her younger son for the sake of the cart, Courage now shows an even more steely determination to defend her cart and all it represents, at any price. She has become even more hardened by the tough bargain she drives. Only when her own daughter’s life might be threatened do we see her being pulled in opposite directions. The conflict between her two driving forces is at its most raw in this scene. • Kattrin’s determination and compassion are brought to the fore in this scene. We see her summon up the determination directly to defy her mother’s wishes to the point of threatening her physically. She is prepared selflessly and unthinkingly to disregard her own safety in order to save another life. The conflicting and contrasting motivation of Kattrin and her mother is at its most obvious here. For Kattrin, the protection and preservation of human life comes before material goods and the pursuit of profit. For Mother Courage, the opposite is true. • The circumstances of this scene allow the ‘Good Samaritan’ side of the Chaplain’s character to come into full use. He immediately and automatically takes on the role, and his natural instinct to protect and save life makes him grow in strength. This results in his turning against his employer, defying her blatantly in order to obtain what he needs to care for the wounded and dying. This is one of the few occasions when we see the Chaplain able to make practical use of his professional status and skills in the context of war. DR AMA 27 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Elements of Epic Theatre • Our focus is again on the course of the action and not on the final outcome. • This scene presents a very direct picture of Mother Courage having to make choices. The motivation and consequences of the choices she makes - and does not make - are highlighted for our inspection. • The heavy reliance on the use of mime and movement to communicate the action and message of the play is a convention common to Epic Theatre. • A year has passed since the previous scene. Distancing devices employed • Again we are forced to question and look more closely at certain ideas that are presented in this scene: - the idea that victories achieved in war can mean losses to others - not lives in this case, but goods and profits, as Courage mourns the loss of shirts which helped save lives. Why might Scene 5 be important in your production of the play? • How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene? • How would you stage this scene given the demands made by the set requirements? • Given that this scene relies very much on mime and movement to communicate the action and meaning, how would you direct it? How would you want it acted? • How would you highlight the contrasting behaviour and mood of Kattrin and Mother Courage at the end of this scene? • What are the main themes and issues presented in this scene? How would you highlight these for the audience? 28 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Notes DR AMA 29 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 6 (pages 50-59) Outside the Bavarian town of Ingolstadt, Courage participates in the funeral of the late Imperial Commander Tilly. Discussions are held about war heroes and the war’s duration. The Chaplain complains that his talents are lying fallow. Dumb Kattrin gets a pair of red boots. 1632 - approximately one year on from the previous scene. Why would Scene 6 be important in any production of the play? Develops the narrative • In a time of prosperity, Mother Courage is to be found engaged in stocktaking while Field Marshal Tilly is buried. The Chaplain pontificates on the nature and duration of war and decides that war will live to ‘a ripe old age’. • On the basis of this forecast, Courage decides to invest in more provisions and Kattrin is sent to buy the merchandise. Courage urges Kattrin to take great care of the goods as the profit they fetch will represent her dowry. • In a rare moment of relaxation, Courage sits to enjoy a pipe, encouraging the Chaplain to chop firewood. This is a gently humorous scene with the Chaplain, who is reluctant to take part in physical labour. He spouts forth on his hidden and redundant talents in an earnest attempt to impress Mother Courage and woo her into marriage. • On her return with a basket full of merchandise, we learn that Kattrin has been attacked by soldiers whilst on her errand. Having received a deep wound to her eye she is now permanently disfigured. Courage’s maternal instinct comes to the fore as she tries in vain to turn this incident into a blessing for Kattrin with practical but pointless and almost ridiculous reasoning. In resorting to offering Yvette’s red boots as compensation, she is offering Kattrin a world in which her only chance of love would now be Yvette’s world - a world of prostitution in which she too would have to sell herself for survival. The promises of marriage after the war are now dashed. Kattrin refuses to be comforted. 30 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Further illustration of themes and issues • Capitalist values are again reinforced as Courage debates the notion of investing in more goods. Only if war continues would this be a good business move. Again we see war being coldly considered, on the grounds of good business opportunities. Courage’s concern over the protection of goods before the protection of her daughter reinforces the strength of these values. • Motherhood is again brought into focus with the realisation that it was the instructions which Courage gave her daughter that were responsible for the outcome. Courage shows that she does not read her daughter well. Her insistence that Kattrin take care of the goods, and her omission to suggest that she should take care of herself, was taken literally by Kattrin and resulted in the permanent scar. Development of characters and relationships • Courage is anxious and preoccupied with the pros and cons of further investment for the first half of this scene. It is this obsession that influences her instructions to Kattrin and which causes Kattrin’s disfigurement. Once her decision to invest is made however, the increasing prosperity that she is enjoying allows for a softer and more human side of Courage to be presented. For the first time too, we see her sitting at rest - not working. The interaction with the Chaplain exposes her gentle humour, her wit and cynicism. She talks of the real courage in life that her class has to have in order to get through each day against all the odds. She deals with the Chaplain’s advances on practical grounds - viewing marriage as a business and one in which she has no need of a partner. Emotions and feelings do not come into her thinking beyond her admission that she likes the Chaplain. Her need of firewood is greater than her need of the romance and soul-saving that the Chaplain can offer. We catch a glimpse of a maternal instinct in her attempt to pacify Kattrin when she returns wounded. But her reasoning is twisted and futile and leads to her clumsy attempt to console Kattrin with the red boots; it is as if she is offering her daughter a future as a prostitute. Although she openly recognises that she may have gone too far in ordering Kattrin to take care of the goods, she then conveniently shifts the blame as illustrated in her final condemnation of war: ‘War be damned’. • The Chaplain shows an intelligent insight into the dynamics of war during his initial conversation with Courage. His perception is both practical and logical - in many ways it could be Courage herself speaking. This contrasts with the sulky, reluctant way in which he then tackles his chore of chopping firewood, and he earnestly tries to remind Courage of his true talents and calling. Unhappy in his role as pot-boy, the Chaplain is trying to re-assert DR AMA 31 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY his true status and impress Courage into marrying him. He does not want to have to chop any more wood, and believes that marriage would put an end to such inferior employment and provide his future security. • The news that the war is likely to continue brings different reactions from the two women. While Mother Courage views it as a financially profitable prospect, Kattrin despairs as the prospect of marriage recedes further out of reach. Her literal interpretation of her mother’s command not to let the goods be stolen was tied up with the idea that they represented her dowry, her future. Kattrin was prepared to sacrifice her own looks for the sake of her future. Ironically, the sacrifice she made was the key to her future, the prospect of marriage seems hopeless without her looks. Courage compounds this by offering Kattrin the red boots as compensation and to alleviate her own guilt. These represent the only form of love that she can now look forward to, a love which depends on her selling herself. But Kattrin sees this bribe for what it is and refuses the boots - thereby, consciously or not, refusing to adopt the same values as her mother. She will not sell herself for profit. Inherent in Kattrin’s refusal to accept the boots that she once coveted is her criticism of Courage and all she represents. The contrasting motivation of each character is reinforced. Elements of Epic Theatre • The process of stocktaking is punctuated by tales of death and destruction. This juxtaposition shocks us and sharpens our consideration of what is being presented. • War is talked about by the Chaplain as a force with an almost human quality, and is issued with fair and reasonable characteristics. This reflects the Sergeant’s and Recruiter’s speech at the beginning of Scene 1 and again challenges our normal view of war. • Mother Courage’s analogy of humans with trees, where she states that the good ones are destroyed and the blemished ones are left alone to get on with their own lives, seems repulsive in many ways, but we are also aware of the element of underlying truth. • One year has passed since the previous scene. Distancing devices employed • The Epic Theatre elements outlined above. 32 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Why might Scene 6 be important in your production of the play? • How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene? • What kind of relationship would you want to establish between Mother Courage and the Chaplain? How would you achieve this? • What kind of relationship would you want to establish between Mother Courage and Kattrin? How would you achieve this? • What key issues would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you achieve this? Notes DR AMA 33 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY 34 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 7 (pages 59-60) Sometime between late 1632 and the summer of 1634. Mother Courage is at the peak of her business career. Why would Scene 7 be important in any production of the play? Develops narrative • This is a short scene which highlights the contrast with the previous scene. We learn that Courage’s business investment has paid off, and this is illustrated by signs of great prosperity. • The condemnation of war, which ended the previous scene, is immediately retracted in this one. Further illustration of themes and issues • The whole concept of war as a business is reinforced in Courage’s dialogue in this scene, particularly in the first part when she talks of her war and her business. She announces that war gives people a better deal than peace. Elements of Epic Theatre • We know from the introductory outline that Courage is here at the peak of her career, and therefore we are free to focus on what she is saying through her song - and to read the picture that Brecht presents. • The juxtaposition of the two conflicting statements from Courage at the end of the previous scene and the beginning of this one highlights their impact. • There is an obvious change of atmosphere from the previous scene. Scene 6 ends on a note of disillusionment where this scene is positive, almost joyful as Courage celebrates success. Distancing devices employed • Directly addressing the audience • Use of song to underline the theme of war as a viable platform for successful business • The use of Epic Theatre elements above. DR AMA 35 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Why might this short scene be important in your production of the play? • How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene? • How would you highlight the effects of financial success through the acting of Courage and Kattrin? • How would you direct Courage in her presentation of the song in this scene and to what effect? Notes 36 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY DR AMA 37 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 8 (pages 60-71) The same year sees the death of the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus at the battle of Lutsen. Peace threatens to ruin Mother Courage’s business. Courage’s dashing son performs one heroic deed too many and comes to a sticky end. Summer of 1634 Why would Scene 8 be important in any production of the play? Develops narrative • The possibility of a business deal with an old woman and her son has awakened Mother Courage. Rumours that peace has broken out interrupt the proceedings, and Mother Courage is angry as she has just bought up new stock. This reaction contrasts with that of the old woman who collapses with shock and happiness when she hears the news. • All sorts of visitors arrive - all showing how the war has affected them to some degree. The appearance of a now ‘ruined’ Cook is welcomed by Mother Courage but threatens the Chaplain’s security within the family unit. Although both he and the Cook use concern over Courage’s financial future as fuel for their argument, their motivation is the same. Knowing how reliable and shrewd Courage’s business sense is, they both want to cash in on the security she can offer. They antagonise each other in an effort to keep in her favour. The warm welcome Courage offers the Cook instils in him the hope that maybe he can become part of this unit. At the same time the Chaplain’s position is jeopardised. Courage then leaves to sell her goods while making a profit is still possible. • Yvette, now the Countess Starkenberg, appears. On recognising the Cook she unmasks his true identity. We learn that he was her first lover, Puffing Piet, referred to in Scene 3 as the person who betrayed her love. This revelation is believed by the Chaplain and the Cook to destroy the Cook’s chances of being allowed to stay. The tables are now turned. The Chaplain relishes the prospect. 38 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • Eilif is brought in and we learn that he is to be hanged for something very similar to that which he was rewarded for in war-time. On realising that his mother is not there, Eilif loses his courage and he is led off to his death. The Chaplain accompanies him. • Courage returns to announce that peace has come to an end. By chance she has not yet sold her wares and the means with which to continue making a living are therefore intact. We learn that the unmasking of the Cook as a philanderer has had the opposite effect on Courage. She voices admiration for his spirit, and besides, she now needs someone to help her pull the cart in the absence of the Chaplain. The truth about Eilif’s fate is not revealed to her. Further illustration of themes and issues • The threat of peace at the beginning of this scene highlights how much all the remaining key characters rely on war for their survival. Their overall reaction is one of despair, anxiety, loss, uncertainty, instability. We learn that war has also turned its back on Eilif, rewarding that which he was once extolled for with his certain death. • For the second time, Courage loses her son Eilif to the war. As in Scene 1, when the distraction of a promised sale gave the military the opportunity to tempt Eilif into war, here too Courage is engaged elsewhere in selling her goods for all she can get just when she is needed by her son. Ironically, she is ‘spared’ information about Eilif at the insistence of the Chaplain. That she has failed for a second time to achieve her initial goal - to get her cart and her children safely through the war - renders her even more pathetic. This is heightened by the lack of focus which she brings to the subject of Eilif. Although she recognises that the Cook is lying to her, she never questions why and accepts his story without comment. The need to trade once war has been declared again is more important than hearing details about her son. Her line ‘take more than war to steal him from me’ compounds her stupidity and ignorance, and the audience’s growing irritation with her. Development of character and relationships • Courage’s negative reaction to the prospect of peace further reinforces her capitalist values. In contrast to this, we see an affectionate side to her personality when she greets the Cook warmly and they share their plight. For the first time she calls him ‘Cooky’ suggesting a tenderness towards him. Her reaction to the Chaplain’s outburst and insult is significant. When he calls her ‘hyena of the battlefield’, she responds by saying she does not want him around any more. This hints that she doesn’t want to be made aware of the possible truth in these words. She sees her role very differently. DR AMA 39 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY It is ironic that in the short interval of the peace, we see her as more vulnerable. She has lost her context, becomes uncharacteristically affectionate towards the Cook and panics over her potential ruin. As she loses focus, the Chaplain gains purpose and strength. By contrast, when she returns declaring that war has started again, she appears more focused, more comfortable with the certainty of war. It is significant that her need to sell at once to minimise her financial loss means that she misses the opportunity to see Eilif again. At the end of this scene, she reads Cook wrongly because of her preoccupation with business, stating that it would take more than war to steal Eilif from her. In one way she is right - it was the arrival of peace that caused his death. • This scene considerably develops the character of the Chaplain. At the outbreak of peace, we see him putting on his clerical garb. It is ironic that only now as peace is declared does he feel able to dress the part with confidence - now when his role as army chaplain in theory will no longer be required. He finds a new sense of his status when dressed in these garments and preaches against blasphemy, openly insulting Courage by calling her the ‘hyena of the battlefield’. This new courage which he finds within himself identifies her for what she is. It must be recognised, however, that up until this point he too has been living off the war while relying on Courage for his survival and security. He has been a parasite on the ‘hyena’. Courage’s reaction to the prospect of peace disgusts the Chaplain, and the interaction between the Chaplain and Courage touches upon many of the themes of the play. As he grows in strength with a need to expose the truth, he shows that he is no longer willing to submit to her. Courage’s reaction is to declare that she no longer has any use for him. His sermon has had an adverse effect on Courage and, realising that he still has to rely on Courage, the Chaplain is left somewhat deflated and finds himself crawling to the Cook, begging him to let him stay. • The Cook, like Courage, is also a victim of peace. The sharing of their common fate brings them closer together. Like the Chaplain, Cook knows that Courage can be relied upon to make the best of the circumstances and can provide him with the food and the companionship he needs. He enjoys bickering with the Chaplain and feeding his jealousy, confident of Courage on the basis of her positive reaction to his arrival. He dreams fondly of the war days and admits to be hiding from peace. Ironically, without war he is lost, he has no identity and in this way he is similar to Courage herself. • Although it is apparent when Yvette enters that she has profited from the war in material terms, she has aged considerably, is much fatter, and is physically damaged as represented by her use of a walking stick. This is the price that she has had to pay for her survival. 40 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Elements of Epic Theatre • With the knowledge of what is going to happen as outlined in the introduction, our focus again is on how the narrative unfolds. • Our natural perception of peace being desirable is challenged by all the key characters in this scene. • The virtue of being steady is questioned, especially by Courage, who regards steadiness as an undesirable quality. • We are forced to look differently at the Chaplain through his statement ‘since I’ve come down in the world I’ve become a different person.’ • As the year and season are given, this scene, unlike other scenes, is pinpointed quite particularly. Distancing devices employed • The elements of Epic Theatre listed above. Why might Scene 8 be important in your production of the play? • How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene? • How would you want Courage, Cook and the Chaplain to relate to each other in this scene? • How would you want Eilif to be portrayed as we see him for the last time in this scene? • How would you stage this scene? • What key issues would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you do this? • What would you want the audience to think of Mother Courage at the end of this scene? DR AMA 41 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Notes 42 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 9 (page 72-78) It is the seventeenth year of the great war of faith. Germany has lost more than half her population. Those who survive the bloodbath are killed off by terrible epidemics. Once fertile areas are ravaged by famine, wolves roam the burnt-out towns. In the autumn of 1634 we find Courage in the Fichtelgebirge, away from the main axis of the Swedish armies. The winter this year is early and harsh. Business is bad and there is nothing to do but beg. The Cook gets a letter from Utrecht and is sent packing. Why would Scene 9 be important in any production of the play? Develops the narrative • On a winter morning, during bad times, Mother Courage and the Cook stop outside a parsonage to beg for food. They discuss the terrible state of war. Courage learns that the Cook is moving to a tavern in Utrecht which he has inherited. He invites Courage to go along. • While Courage is informing Kattrin of the prospect of their new, peaceful future, the Cook interrupts, and in an aside to Mother Courage makes it clear that he does not want Kattrin along. He insists that the inn could only provide a living for two people, not three. In addition, he adds that customers would not want to look at Kattrin’s face. Kattrin overhears this from the cart. • Courage and the Cook sing the ‘Song of the Temptations of the Great’ as Courage considers the Cook’s offer. She ponders the fact that this could be her last chance of settling down. Nevertheless, she decides against it, but goes with him to get soup. • Kattrin decides to spare her mother the need to choose between the Cook and herself. She packs her things into a bundle and places the Cook’s trousers together with her mother’s skirt. The message she leaves is clear. • Just as Kattrin is about to leave, Courage catches her. Feeding her the hot soup she insists that she was never going to leave her, on account of the cart, she adds. She determines to get rid of the Cook’s things, and they both DR AMA 43 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY throw them out of the cart. Courage and Kattrin then harness themselves to the cart and leave. • On his return the Cook finds his belongings strewn on the ground. In silence he gathers them up and sets out for Utrecht alone. Further illustration of themes and issues • At the beginning of this scene we discover that war is no longer finding much to feed on. Devastation and destruction are rife. Courage paints us a picture where people have reached desperation point and are rumoured to have resorted to animal behaviour and cannibalism to survive. We are shown a picture of war at its ugliest. While Courage appears disgusted by this, there is irony embedded here. In order for her to have survived she has sacrificed two of her own children by feeding them to the war. This recalls the words of the Recruiter at the end of Scene 1 when he insists that you have to feed the war something in order to live off it. • The theme of motherhood is dealt with directly in this scene. Courage’s immediate assumption that the Cook’s offer included Kattrin reinforced her perception of her daughter and herself as a family unit, thereby highlighting her maternal side. Her initial consideration of Kattrin in making the decision is admirable but in a way patronising. There is a sense that, in her effort to convince Kattrin, she is also trying to convince herself that this would be the best course of action. We admire her final decision to turn down the offer on account of Kattrin. Her response of shock and anger in catching her daughter about to leave is also motherly, reflecting the care and affection she has for her daughter. Before she allows herself to expose these feelings directly however, Courage turns them away by insisting that it was on account of the cart and not of Kattrin that she could not take up the Cook’s offer. Whether or not she says this to prevent Kattrin from feeling guilty, or because she genuinely did not want to give up the cart, is open to interpretation. The earlier conversation with the Cook might suggest that she is protecting Kattrin, and this would again reinforce the audience’s awareness of Courage’s maternal instinct. But there is also the suggestion that she would not give up her independence, her means of survival, as represented by the cart. It must be remembered that the Cook suggested that Kattrin keep the cart if Courage was to go with him to Utrecht. This poses the question of whether it was Kattrin that she would not leave or her cart. Motherhood and capitalist ideology may well be in conflict again in this scene. 44 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Development of character and relationships • At the beginning of this scene, Courage the survivor is optimistic despite the dire circumstances in which she finds herself. Unlike the Cook, she believes they will be fed. Her optimism is a necessary dimension of her survival she must be fed, therefore she will be fed. She nevertheless admits her tiredness: the effects of age and the difficult times have got to her. She is therefore open to Cook’s proposal of sharing a living from the inn - the timing is right in many ways as she outlines to Kattrin. The decision she has to make between Kattrin and the Cook - between continuous hardship and the struggle to survive on the one hand and security, companionship and a settled lifestyle on the other - is a difficult one for her. She shows indecision initially, but this is short lived and she returns to her original decision - to get through the war with her cart and her children. She does try to charm ‘Cooky’ into changing his mind, but they have known each other too long and she respects the practicality of his decision. • In contrast to Courage, the Cook is despondent at the opening of this scene. It is clear that Courage and he have become close through the years and they understand each other. The Cook’s invitation to share the inn is first and foremost a business arrangement. The idea of companionship and affection is never broached by the Cook - that is left unsaid. Although he shows respect for Courage, his business head rules his heart and he will not allow himself to change his mind. • Kattrin’s selflessness is highlighted further in this scene. In one respect her compassion towards all living creatures seems almost pathetic as we hear of her secretly tending to hedgehogs that have been caught under the wheels of the cart. (One could go so far as to say that this symbolised the life that the cart has destroyed in its journey for survival. This also reinforces the human quality which Mother Courage gives the cart.) However, we are then made aware of her bravery in her willingness to sacrifice her own security and companionship for that of her mother. She makes the decision to leave, thereby taking the difficult decision from her mother. The question as to whether Kattrin believes her mother would have gone without her anyway is an interesting one. It brings us back us to the question: Was it the cart or Kattrin that Courage refused to give up? Elements of Epic Theatre • Again we are forced to look at how the narrative unfolds rather than at the end result - given the introductory outline. • Mother Courage is again faced with a choice which we see her deliberating over. The decision she has to make is highlighted for us, and we are forced to consider the consequences of her decision - of the choice she did make and the one she did not make. DR AMA 45 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • A year has passed since the last scene. Distancing devices employed • The use of song to highlight a theme or issue being explored within the scene - ‘The Song of Solomon’ warns against virtuous activity and highlights honesty, bravery and unselfishness. Ironically Courage describes her children by reference to these virtues, which have been the cause of Eilif’s and Swiss Cheese’s deaths. The song heralds Kattrin’s imminent death in Scene 2. • Depending on how the scene is directed, the song could be delivered directly to the audience, and this could incorporate those sleeping in the parsonage. This method of presentation is supported by the use of the Cook’s introduction of ‘Ladies and gentlemen’ at the beginning of the song. • Those elements of Epic Theatre listed above. Why might Scene 9 be important in your production of the play? • How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene? • How would you show the effects of the war through the acting of Courage and the Cook? • What kind of relationship would you want to establish between the Cook and Mother Courage? • ‘The Song of Solomon’ takes up a considerable part of this scene. How would you direct it? • How would you direct the section where Kattrin is alone and is preparing to leave? • How would you stage this scene - given that Courage and Kattrin leave with the cart before the end of the scene? • What would you want the audience to think of the Cook and of Mother Courage at the end of this scene? What message would you wish to reinforce through your direction? 46 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Notes DR AMA 47 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 10 (page 79) Throughout 1635 Mother Courage and her daughter Kattrin travel the highroads of central Germany in the wake of the increasingly bedraggled armies. Why would Scene 10 be important in any production of the play? Further illustration of themes and issues • This very short scene provides us with a physical image of what Courage may have given up by her decision to use war for her livelihood, and also by her refusal of the Cook’s offer. The picture of the little house around which roses have been nourished, and now can be seen in full bloom, is an attractive and wholesome one. In some ways, this image could symbolise the stability that Courage gave up in order to profit from the war. It suggests that investment in domesticity would have resulted in the survival of her family - instead of the loss of all of her children. Elements of Epic Theatre • Again we are able to focus on the words of the song - as it suggests Courage and Kattrin do - rather than the characters themselves. The song and nothing else is the focus of the scene. • This scene highlights the decision that Courage has made in the previous scene - focusing our attention on the message of the song and on the contrasting paths that she had to choose from. • It takes place at some point in the following year. Distancing devices employed • The use of song to highlight a theme or issue is the focus in this scene. • The use of the Epic Theatre elements above. 48 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Why might this short scene be important in your production of the play? • How would you reinforce your directorial interpretation in this scene? • How would you want it to be acted by Courage and Kattrin given that the focus is on the song which they are not singing? • How would you stage this scene? Would the singer(s) be on stage or off stage? Notes DR AMA 49 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 11 (pages 80-86) The emperor’s troops are threatening the Protestant town of Halle. The stone begins to speak. Mother Courage loses her daughter and trudges on alone. The war is a long way from being over. January 1636 Why would Scene 11 be important in any production of the play? Develops the narrative • At the outset of this scene three soldiers and an ensign arrive at a Peasant’s farm where Mother Courage and Kattrin are staying. We learn that a surprise attack is being planned on a town nearby. Mother Courage is in town buying up goods. By threatening their livestock, the soldiers blackmail the Peasant’s son into guiding them to the town. • The Peasant and his wife discover that the surrounding woods are crawling with men and decide that there is nothing they can do to warn the town without endangering their own lives. As this is clearly not an option, they entreat Kattrin to kneel with them and pray. • During the prayer Kattrin learns that the lives of the young children in Halle are under threat. She stops praying, fetches a drum from the cart, climbs up onto the roof of the barn and starts to beat the drum loudly to warn the townsfolk of the imminent invasion. Despite their endeavours the Peasant and his wife cannot make her stop. • On hearing the drum, the soldiers and the Ensign return and make several attempts to entice Kattrin from the roof. If this drumming continues, their plans to invade the town by surprise will be ruined. They promise to save her mother, threaten to smash the cart and finally threaten her own life. Kattrin’s response is to drum harder. • On the Ensign’s order the soldiers fire their gun and Kattrin is killed. In the last moments of the scene, a distant drumming is heard from the town and we realise that Kattrin’s signal has worked. Her death has not been in vain. 50 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Further illustration of themes and issues • This is the only scene in the play in which Mother Courage is not present. As when she lost Eilif and Swiss Cheese, Courage is again occupied in making a business deal (this time in a nearby town in the middle of the night) when she loses Kattrin. Despite her past experiences it would seem that Courage still has not learnt from them. Again, enacting her capitalist values (making that business deal to minimise financial lost) have come before protecting her daughter. • This is Courage’s third and final loss in the play. Despite her initial objective to get her children safely through the war, she has lost each one of them to it. Her cart is all she has left. The fact that she has succeeded in not losing it only goes to emphasise what she was prepared to protect at all costs. • As this is the only scene in which Mother Courage is not present at any time, her absence is very significant. It suggests that she has abandoned her motherly duties even further. This argument is given weight when we realise that she left Kattrin, her dumb daughter, with complete strangers, in the middle of the night and in dangerous times. The question of motherhood is again brought into focus. Kattrin’s decision to put her own life at risk comes directly after she hears of the young children in Halle whose lives are in danger. This reinforces her own compassion and maternal instincts: it is the fact that they are children which induces Kattrin to put her own life at risk. This contrasts the maternal instincts of Mother Courage and of Kattrin. In Courage, these are limited and often overpowered by her adherence to her capitalist values. Kattrin’s maternal instinct, on the other hand, shows no bounds. Her compassion is so great that she sacrifices her own life in order to save the lives of unknown children. In some ways, Kattrin is the courageous one and could be seen to be more of a mother figure than Courage - her children being those that she saved. • Kattrin’s virtue, her compassion for others, brings about her own death. Mother Courage’s cynical and twisted perception of virtues being dangerous to their possessors as highlighted in the ‘Song of Solomon’ (Scene 9) has proved true. The virtue of Eilif, Swiss Cheese and Kattrin have brought about their death. The prophecies made by Mother Courage in the lottery charade in Scene 1, when each of her children drew a black cross, have come true. The fact that it was Courage herself who deliberately drew on the black crosses in order to prevent her children from becoming part of the war process is full of irony. Courage can be seen to be personally responsible for their deaths. She sealed their fate. DR AMA 51 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Development of character • Kattrin’s compassion is seen at its greatest in this penultimate scene, as she makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the lives of others. Although she is labelled ‘dumb’ and ‘a cripple’ by the peasants, Kattrin turns out to be the bravest and most courageous character. Unlike the peasants, and indeed Courage herself whose strongest instinct is for self preservation, Kattrin’s motivation to preserve and protect the lives of others is greater than her instinct to save herself. Before she climbed on to the roof to give the signal to the townsfolk, she had heard the peasants say that such action would inevitably lead to her death. So she clearly knew what she was doing from the outset. Points to consider It is interesting to note the stage directions in the section where the soldiers are trying to get Kattrin to stop drumming. That she drums even harder when the soldiers promise to save her mother from the town is an interesting direction. Also when they threaten to smash up the cart, Kattrin is said to look towards it pitifully but continues drumming nevertheless. Elements of Epic Theatre • Again our focus is on the course of the action rather than the outcome. • The fact that the Peasant is prepared to sacrifice his own life but not that of the livestock which represent his means of survival challenges our natural expectations. • This scene happens approximately one year later. Distancing devices employed • The Epic Theatre elements listed above. Why might Scene 11 be important in your production of the play? • How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene? • What main themes would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you achieve this? • How would you stage this scene, bearing in mind the demands of the set? • How would you want the military figures to be portrayed in this scene? How would you achieve this? 52 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • How would you want the part of Kattrin to be acted in this scene? • What would you want the audience to think about Kattrin’s death at the end of this scene? Notes DR AMA 53 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY SCENE 12 (pages 86-88) Before first light. Sound of the fifes and drums of troops marching off into the distance. January 1636 Why would Scene 12 be important in any production of the play? Develops the narrative • The peasant family are keen for Courage to leave as she has caused much trouble already. Courage is initially unable to comprehend that her daughter is dead. She sings her a lullaby. • Courage is finally convinced by the Peasant’s wife that Kattrin is dead. Her realisation activates very practical behaviour and, having fetched a tarpaulin from the cart, she covers the body. She then accepts the Peasants’ offer to bury Kattrin and gives them money for the expenses. She harnesses herself to the cart. • Keen to get back to business, Courage urges a passing regiment to take her along. Pulling the cart behind her, she struggles to join them. We are left with the sound of the regiment singing in the background - the four last lines echoing the song Courage sang in Scene 1. War is continuing, a living can still be made from it. Further illustration of themes and issues • Despite her difficulty in coming to terms with Kattrin’s death, Courage makes a business deal with the peasants to bury her. Even at this most traumatic moment the natural process of mourning is replaced by the kind of transaction that Courage is most at ease with. The deliberate counting out of money and the handshake only go to reinforce the process. Courage has decided that she cannot wait to bury her own daughter but must grab the opportunity of the passing regiment to get back into business. Her capitalist ideology prevails: business comes first as it has done throughout the play. 54 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • This is the third and last child that Courage has lost in the play. At the beginning of the scene, Courage is unable to accept the loss of Kattrin - the shock is too much and leads to denial. Courage never referred to her sons’ lives after the war but she regularly referred to Kattrin’s. She believed that Kattrin would always be with her and her loss is therefore very hard to accept. However, when she eventually does accept that Kattrin is dead, no time is given to mourn this loss. • The lullaby which Courage sings at the beginning of this scene is quite significant. Firstly it is a very motherly thing to do, so for a short time her behaviour seems quite natural and understandable. Secondly, it reveals her quite startling and misguided belief that her children had so much compared to other children - which is the opposite of the truth. Through this song we realise that Courage thought she was doing her best for her children - that she was being a good mother. But by leaving Kattrin to be buried by strangers, she shows how much more important her business is than her motherly responsibilities. Development of character • Courage now seems more pitiable than ever. In contrast to the first scene in which she revelled in the prospect of living off the war, she now appears feeble and pathetic. She blames the peasants for Kattrin’s death, arguing that they should not have mentioned the children to Kattrin. When they retaliate, arguing that Kattrin would have been fine if Courage had not gone into town to get her cut, she ignores them. The business role that she adopts so easily on the realisation that Kattrin is dead, only confirms that Mother Courage has learnt nothing from her experience. She has lost all her children and still cannot see that she is responsible. She cuts a pitiful figure as she struggles to catch up with the regiment, to get back to business. Points to consider • It is significant that Courage still does not know at the end of the play that Eilif is dead. This poses the question of how she would have reacted if she had known the facts. Because she believes that Eilif is still alive, there is a suggestion that her determination to join the regiment immediately could be seen to be for his sake - as long as one of her children is alive she must continue with the business. Elements of Epic Theatre • We are again forced to focus on how the narrative unfolds rather than the outcomes of this last scene. • Courage’s final decision not to bury her child but to pay others to do so and return to business is the main focus of the scene. The choices open to her are presented clearly to us and the consequences of her choice revealed. DR AMA 55 OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY • Unlike the other scenes in the play, this scene takes place within hours, if not minutes, of the previous scene. It very clearly continues the narrative. Distancing devices employed • Song is used twice in this scene - the first time more naturally by Courage in the lullaby. It nevertheless is clearly presenting a meaningful picture and has a distancing effect - not least because it seems out of character. • Likewise, the background singing which concludes the play and accompanies Courage’s struggle to join the regiment serves to reinforce the idea that Courage has not learnt from her experiences but is determined to continue to survive off the war. That the last four lines are a repeat of those sung by Courage herself in Scene 1 is significant. It reinforces the idea that Courage’s attitude to war remains unaltered. The old, weak, solitary figure she presents now is very different to that of the first scene when she sang these words with relish. • The elements of Epic Theatre listed above. Why might Scene 12 be important in your production of the play? • How does this scene conclude your directorial interpretation of the play? • What theme(s) would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you do this? • How would you direct the section with Courage singing the lullaby? What effect would you want to create? • How do you want Mother Courage to be portrayed in this final scene? What do you want the audience to think of her? • Given its significance, how would you present/direct the song at the end of the scene? • What image do you want to be left in the minds of the audience? Why? • What message do you want the audience to take away? 56 DR AMA OVERALL DIRECTORIAL INTERPRETATION AND DRAMATIC COMMENTARY Notes DR AMA 57 DIRECTORY OF ACTING PIECES SECTION B Acting roles Mother Courage An excellent female role. Courage is forthright, abrasive and intimidating, but also humorous and witty. There is a range of opportunities within the text to show all aspects of this main female protagonist. The role is demanding but challenging. It requires an ability to be physically comfortable with the character, and to be able to portray her with energy and force. The role demands that the two aspects of the character are evident - the protective mother and the shrewd businesswoman - and the turmoil of the conflict between the two must be felt. This is a good part for strong actors to communicate and develop their skill. The Cook A real character part. The Cook is a physical man - passionate about food and women. He enjoys people and companionship. He is a harmless Don Juan but also a good businessman. In many ways he is Mother Courage’s soul mate. At times he can be morose, but he is generally jovial; he likes the good things in life. He is both suave and acerbic - a tough but likeable campaigner. This is a strong character part offering the opportunity to employ an accent. The General A cameo role. The General is a pompous, arrogant character whose purpose is to show the off-hand and patronising behaviour of the upper class. He is a loud, drunken presence when he appears in Scene 2 - almost stereotypical. There is opportunity to develop challenging voice and movement work in this character, but with a sensitivity and awareness of purpose to avoid caricature. Yvette This is a challenging role. Yvette is a businesswoman - but she is also the camp whore. She is both cynical and caring with a friendly disposition. She is described as having a provocative gait, so a physical ease is called for. The actor playing this role must be able to show all the facets of the character - the manipulative whore, the kindly friend and the businesswoman. The role is physically and vocally challenging and demands versatility in movement, gesture and vocal skills. There is also the opportunity to use accent if desired. 58 DR AMA DIRECTORY OF ACTING PIECES Eilif A naïve, idealistic character keen to be involved at the cutting edge of the war, and to enjoy the excitement it offers. He is loyal and immature - just a boy at heart - but likes to show bravado and aggression. He revels in the heroic deeds he has accomplished, is keen to impress and is easily impressed. A bit of a show-off, arrogant, energetic. His bravery leads to his downfall. Swiss Cheese More thoughtful and ponderous than his brother, Swiss Cheese is labelled as slow and simple by his mother. He deliberates on his actions, thinking things through with care. He wants to be well thought of by being honest and doing the right thing. As with Eilif, he is loyal to his mother and wants to put right the situation with the cashbox to stop her from worrying. He has a gentle and sensitive nature, as illustrated in his scene with Kattrin. He is also naïve and gullible. Not too challenging a part, but the actor requires skill in being able to show a range of traits. The Chaplain A character who shows both strength of conviction and good sense as well as a weak and rather pathetic disposition. He loves the sound of his own voice and in many ways is like a fish out of water in the war. He can be both wise and foolish - full of contradictions. Despite his grand spiritual ideology, he is often as cynical as Courage herself, and when it comes to the crucial point, selfpreservation is his driving force. He dislikes physical labour and is prepared to go as far as proposing marriage to Courage to ensure his own security. Opportunity for using accent. DR AMA 59 DIRECTORY OF ACTING PIECES Recommended acting pieces Page reference: 3-13 (Scene 1) Opening line: RECRUITER: ‘How can you muster a unit in a place like this?’ Closing line: SERGEANT: ‘Have to feed it something too.’ Casting: 2 male and 1 female Characters: Recruiter, Sergeant, Mother Courage (plus Eilif and Swiss Cheese read in - Kattrin can support if required) Approximate length: 12 minutes Comments: This is the opening scene of the play in which the characters are introduced. It is a good scene for two males and a strong female. The Recruiter and the Sergeant are given an opportunity in the opening dialogue to establish one of the main themes of the play, and later to develop their personalities and their relationship in their interaction with Mother Courage and her children. It offers a strong and significant acting opportunity for the actor playing Courage. Her motivation is clearly established and the scene demands a very direct, physical performance exposing many of her personality traits. There is also the opportunity to present the song if required. 60 DR AMA DIRECTORY OF ACTING PIECES Page reference: 13-20 (Scene 2) Opening line: COOK: ‘Sixty hellers for a miserable bird like that?’ Closing line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘. . . look after yourself? You Finnish devil!’ Casting: 1 female and 3 male Characters: Mother Courage, the Cook, Eilif and the General Approximate length: 14 minutes Comments: This scene builds on the development of the relationships between two pairs of characters with the focus alternating from one pair to the other. The focus is on wit, humour and shrewd business tactics for the actor playing Courage. Not the most challenging extract for Courage, but an enjoyable one. This is the most lively scene in the play for the Cook, which offers the opportunity to use an accent. This is the only significant extract that Eilif has; in it he is impressing and being impressed. A lot of movement skills are required. The part of the General is a challenging one in this scene. Although a cameo role, it requires considerable vocal skills. This is the best scene in the play for four actors and can be very effective. Timing is important as is a sensitivity to the demands of the split scene. Page reference: 30-35 (Scene 3) Opening line: SWISS CHEESE: ‘. . . I been sitting around with nowt to do . . .’ Closing line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘And don’t you twist his shoulder!’ Casting: 1 male Characters: Swiss Cheese (plus Mother Courage, Chaplain, Kattrin, Sergeant and Man with a patch to read in) Approximate length: 7 minutes Comments: This is the most substantial acting piece for Swiss Cheese. The focus initially is on the delivery of single lines but requires a lot of significant silent acting as Swiss Cheese ponders his situation and reacts to the others in the scene. It builds towards a tender scene with Kattrin. DR AMA 61 DIRECTORY OF ACTING PIECES Page reference: 37-42 (Scene 3) Opening line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘They say Sergeant’s open to reason . . .’ Closing line: SERGEANT: ‘Chuck him in the pit. He’s got nobody knows him.’ Casting: 2 female Characters: Mother Courage and Yvette (plus Colonel, Chaplain and Sergeant read in) Approximate length: 9 minutes Comments: A very dramatic scene from start to finish - full of dramatic tension building towards the execution of Swiss Cheese. Both are challenging roles in this extract - this is the only substantial acting piece for Yvette. The actor playing Yvette has to portray the full range of her personality - switching from the friend to manipulative prostitute to businesswoman. Versatility and physical confidence is required. There is also an opportunity for adopting an accent. This scene is also very challenging for the actor playing Mother Courage. It is significant in that it deals directly with the central themes of the play. It shows her at her most vulnerable as she haggles for the life of her son. It is probably the most demanding acting piece for this character, one in which her inner turmoil and tension are externalised. Portraying the denial of her son when she is presented with his dead body is a real challenge. 62 DR AMA DIRECTORY OF ACTING PIECES Page reference: 53-59(Scene 6) Opening line: CHAPLAIN: ‘. . . there’s peace in war too; it has its peaceful moments . . .’ Closing line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘Where Eilif is God alone knows. War be damned.’ Casting: 1 male and 1 female Characters: Chaplain and Mother Courage Approximate length: 10 minutes Comments: This is the only really substantial acting opportunity for the part of the Chaplain, but it is an effective one allowing for all aspects of his personality to come to the fore. There are good chunks of speech and sections of dialogue with Mother Courage which are effusive, romantic and humorous. A varied, challenging extract - one which provides opportunity for accent work. Page reference: 72-78 (Scene 9) Opening line: COOK: ‘It’s dark, nobody up yet.’ Closing line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘. . . Get hitched, it looks like snow.’ Casting: 1 male and 1 female; or two female Characters : Mother Courage and the Cook (plus Kattrin supporting) Approximate length : 12 minutes Comments : A very challenging but effective scene for both actors quite intense. Both the characters are in focus throughout. A lot of interaction and reaction is required as the relationship between the Cook and Mother Courage develops towards its conclusion. A marked contrast between this and the extract with the same characters described above in Scene 2. The focus is on the more serious side of each character, although the song provides an opportunity for a vaudeville-style double act if required. DR AMA 63