The New Theatre Project Presents MOTHER COURAGE 9/19

In celebration of the United Nations' International Peace Day, The New Theatre Project will present a staged reading of the greatest anti-war play of all time, Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children in an English version by Tony Kushner. The reading will take place at 6 pm on Sunday,
September 19 at Frog Island Park in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The cast will include Terry Heck as Mother Courage, John Seibert as the Cook, and Lynch Travis as the Chaplain. Joining them will be a distinguished ensemble of some of Southeastern Michigan's greatest actors which, at press time, include: Pirooz Aghssa, Samer Ajluni, TNTP's Managing Director Matt Andersen, Joe Bailey, New Ensemble member Amanda Lyn Junquist, New Ensemble member Caleb Kruzel, Daniel Millhouse, Joe Olson, Joe Plambeck, Linda Rabin-Hammell, Brett Radke, Chelsea Sadler, Lee Stille, and Maria Thomas. The staged reading will be directed by Austin Michael Tracy.

The New Theatre Project is delighted to welcome Dr. Pirooz Aghssa to host a preshow discussion. Dr. Aghssa has taught at Eastern Michigan University for eleven years where he has directed, among many others, Angels in America: Millenium Approaches by Kushner and Brecht on Brecht; the latter was covered by the International Brecht Society. In 2009, Dr. Aghssa's review of Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis was published in the International Brecht Society's Quarterly.

Ypsilanti's Frog Island Park is attached to Riverside Park just behind Depot Town. Tickets are on sale now for just $10. Tickets reserved within one week of the performance and at the door will be sold for $15. Tickets can be reserved by contacting the box office at tickets@thenewtheatreproject.org or (810) 623-0909.

In the case of inclement weather, audience members should check the website after 8 am on September 19 for an alternate rain location. The reading will only be moved inside for serious weather at the time of the performance and will be still held in the park in the event of a drizzle or serious weather conditions earlier in the day.

Additionally, The New Theatre Project will offer a free screening of the film Theatre of War documenting the life and work of Bertolt Brecht with commentary and scenes from the recent Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline production of Mother Courage in Central Park. This free screening will be shown on Wednesday, September 8 at 7 pm at the Ann Arbor District Library's Freespace. Come to view the film and learn more about our staged reading event. Seating is limited but can be reserved by contacting the box office at tickets@thenewtheatreproject.org or calling (810) 623-0909.

At press time, the participating theatre companies are the Blackbird Theatre, the Magenta Giraffe Theatre Co., Performance Network Theatre, and Who Wants Cake? Theatre. Any other local companies wishing to participate in the event can contact keith@thenewtheatreproject.org for more information. Additional non-profit peace action groups are expected to join the event as well.

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