Mother Courage

I was incredibly lucky to get my hands on tickets to (what I think is)the best show this summer - Mother Courage. For those of you who don't know, it's the second show from the Public's summer line-up of "Shakespeare in the Park." And although this isn't Shakespeare, it's still in the park, and it's every bit as magical.

Where to begin - oh, probably with the fact that the show stars Meryl Streep, which is really enough to get me to the theatre for anything. This was the first time I've seen her on stage, and wow was it worth it. She co-stars with Kevin Kline and a cast of other very talented actors.

This version of Mother Courage was translated by Tony Kushner. I had lost my faith in Tony after the oh-so-disappointing Munich last year - but he really delivers here. George Wolfe directs masterfully - and Oskar Eustis is officially my favorite artistic director.

The story centers around, of course, Mother Courage - Bertolt Brecht's famous character who is fighting for survival with her three children during the Thirty Years War. She travels back and forth throughout Eastern Europe during the war selling goods to everyone she comes across. The war is both good and evil for Mother Courage - it provides her a living but ends up taking all of her children from her. I found the story extremely poignant for today's political situation, strikingly so to Brecht's story which takes place hundreds of years ago.

I was amazed by Meryl Streep's energy throughout the entire three-hour play. She prances about the stage, sings lovely songs, and never misses a beat. It's the perfect balance of technical perfection and impulsive detail. I can't say enough good things - I only wish everyone could have the chance to see it.