Friday, January 22, 2016

Another NYT Critic Pick - Bertolt Brecht's "Mother Courage and Her Children" by CSC

I confess. Since Jelly's Last JamI have been a fan of Tonya Pinkins and would watch her in almost anything on the New York City stage. When I received a comp ticket to see a preview of her Mother Courage at CSC, it was a no brainer. I was there. It would be my first time experiencing the complicated Brecht war classic written in 1939 -- but now transferred to modern day Congo. 

I admit. I did not love the production. It felt choppy; however, I figured it was something that the creative team would sort through before the official opening. Of course, I enjoyed Ms. Pinkins' performance. I enjoyed Kevin Mambo (who also played Fela!) as Cook. Mother Courage's duet with Cook received applause from the audience and was well done. And finally, Micheal Potts as Chaplain was quite good. 

I pause. Who the heck knew that the real drama would ensue few days later. Shortly before opening, Tonya Pinkins spectacularly dropped out of the production saying time and time again her perspective as a Black woman is dismissed in favor of portraying the Black woman, through the filter of the White gaze. One person's disappointment though can be another's gain. After a short delay, the CSC production went on. Kecia Lewis admirably stepped into Mother Courage's shoes and now the production has received a theater critic pick from The New York Times

I wonder. How does the creative process really work? This civilian imagines the leading character sitting down with the director and discussing the creative vision for the play well before the actor even signs on to do the role. Is this naive? How can there be such a disconnect between the director and the lead throughout the creative journey? How will this impact Tonya Pinkin's career on the New York City stage? Do producers view her as problematic? Is she fed up? Will she or can she return?


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