Ferguson Influences Upcoming Adaptation of 'Mother Courage'

An image of armored police officers during the August riots in Ferguson, Missouri, sets the story of the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club's production of “Mother Courage and Her Children," which runs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 at Farkas Hall. The play’s promotional poster gives a small glimpse of the conflict that underlies the plot: smoke-filled darkness is pierced by the flashlight of a police officer’s assault rifle, illuminating the few dozen other officers around him.

Written by Bertolt Brecht in 1939, just as Hitler was invading Poland, the play tells the story of Mother Courage, a mother who tries to keep her business alive and her family together during the Thirty Years’ War. Director Alistair A. Debling ’16 initially planned to stage the play to evoke the setting of Wall Street, but in light of recent events (Ukraine, the Middle East, and Ferguson), it’s taken a different turn.“There’s a line in the play, ‘The world is dying,’” Debling says. “That kind of feeling that everything’s falling apart and heading towards catastrophe is particularly present [today].”

The production will be unique in that Debling composed a score for the play. The play is not a musical, but simply features original music. “The characters might sing songs that they remember from childhood…but the plot isn’t being advanced by the music,” co-producer Sarah K. Rosenburg ’16 says. “None of the music is scored…so every production will have a different score, and Alistair has composed new melodies [for the show].”

The music also gives the play a more modern atmosphere. “[There will be] some live music and guitar stuff, and a lot of synthesized music, so it’s a pretty modern sound. There are actually some club beats involved from time to time, so it’s really fun,” Rosenburg says.

The casting of the production is also unconventional. The actress playing Mother Courage is not a student at Harvard or any other college. Margaret A. Nyland is an attorney turned full-time actress from Charleston, South Carolina. Like Mother Courage, she’s also a mother of three. She says that her age, more than being a mother, has helped her in her role. “To be this tough, or at times this cynical, or this strong—some of that just requires some years to really portray.”

The production’s unconventional elements have made for a rewarding experience for those involved. “So many moving parts have come together, and it’s really interesting to watch how they have interacted with each other in interesting ways,” Rosenburg says. “Pulling everything together has been a really fun experience.”