Mother Courage and Her Children is widely regarded as Brecht's best
work, a theatrical landmark and one of the most powerful anti-war plays
in history. This unique bilingual edition allows students to compare the
original German text with a translation by one of the world's leading
playwrights, Tony Kushner.
In this play, a chronicle of the Thirty Years War, Mother Courage
follows the armies back and forth across Europe, selling provisions and
liquor from her canteen wagon. One by one she loses her children to the
war but will not part with her livelihood - the wagon. The Berlin
production of 1949, with Helene Weigel as Mother Courage, marked the
foundation of the Berliner Ensemble.
The English translation by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony
Kushner is inventive and vigorous, making Brecht's epic drama accessible
to the 21st century reader. Contemporary language and humour make it the
perfect English version to elucidate and compare with the original text.
This edition also includes a critical introduction and commentary notes
on particular words and phrases.