COURAGE
Based on Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht
Honored Finalist: Women in the Arts and Media Coalition COLLABORATION AWARD 2019
Produced by NACL (North American Cultural Laboratory)
Conceived and directed by Tannis Kowalchuk
Text by Melissa Bell and Mark Dunau
Original Music by Rima Fand
Assistant Director/Dramaturg Mimi McGurl
Premiere: Governor’s Island, NYC, Sept 22-24, 2017, and Apple Pond Farm, Callicoon Center, NY, Aug 18-20, 2017.
Developmental workshop production July 22-24, 2016, at Apple Pond Farm
COURAGE is a site specific immersive theatrical journey. With 25 performers, this play looks at the struggle for equality, compassion, and survival in a dystopian world of fear and war, while warning against those who would attempt to profit from war. The setting is a refugee camp, and the audience goes on a long walk (mirroring a refugee’s journey) with a final resting place inside Central Tent. Along the way they meet a motley crew of survivors: a military stilt regiment, a Greek-style chorus of singing migrants, a religious aid worker, a migrant smuggler, a surly cook. Their stories weave together into a moving tapestry of loss, courage, and resilience.
“Makes a lasting impression” Sullivan County Democrat
"Stunning...wildly imaginative" Jonathan Charles Fox, The River Reporter
Conceived and directed by Tannis Kowalchuk
Text by Melissa Bell and Mark Dunau
Original Music by Rima Fand
Assistant Director/Dramaturg Mimi McGurl
Premiere: Governor’s Island, NYC, Sept 22-24, 2017, and Apple Pond Farm, Callicoon Center, NY, Aug 18-20, 2017.
Developmental workshop production July 22-24, 2016, at Apple Pond Farm
COURAGE is a site specific immersive theatrical journey. With 25 performers, this play looks at the struggle for equality, compassion, and survival in a dystopian world of fear and war, while warning against those who would attempt to profit from war. The setting is a refugee camp, and the audience goes on a long walk (mirroring a refugee’s journey) with a final resting place inside Central Tent. Along the way they meet a motley crew of survivors: a military stilt regiment, a Greek-style chorus of singing migrants, a religious aid worker, a migrant smuggler, a surly cook. Their stories weave together into a moving tapestry of loss, courage, and resilience.
“Makes a lasting impression” Sullivan County Democrat
"Stunning...wildly imaginative" Jonathan Charles Fox, The River Reporter
Debra Winger as B. Brecht
Tannis Kowalchuk and Bradley Diuguid
John Roth, top, Gregg Erickson, Brett Hughes, Desmond Oxford McDonald, Jon Jon Thomas
Tannis Kowalchuk and Yurika Sase
Bottom: Ginny Hack, Jessica Lopez-Barkl, Middle: Melissa Bell, Tracy Broyles, Annie Hat, Top: Nancy Peterman, Laylage Courie
Bradley Diuguid and Debra Winger
Yurika Sase and Greek Chorus
Peter Walsh and Greek Chorus: Ginny Hack, Tracy Broyles, Annie Hat, Jessica Lopez-Barkl, Nancy Peterman, Melissa Bell, Tracy Broyles, Laylage Courie.
Mark Dunau, Tannis Kowalchuk, Melissa Bell, HONORED FINALIST, Women in the Arts & Media Collaboration Award, 2019
John Roth as General Publik
Keith McHenry
CREATOR-ACTORS
Jessica Lopez Barkl, Jessica Beveridge, Bradley Diuguid, Conrado Falco, Brett Hughes, Oliver King, Tannis Kowalchuk, Simon Kowalchuk-Swartz, Daniel Lendzian, Nick Lopez, Keith McHenry, Brian Ritchie, John Roth, Yurika Sase, Peter Walsh, Sajda Waite, Debra Winger.
STILT CORPS: Gregg Erickson, Corinna Grunn, Mark Keoppen, Desmond Oxford McDonald, Adrianne Picciano, John Roth, Jon Jon Thomas, Sunny Thomas, Tyler Young, Michael Chojnicki.
CHORUS: Melissa Bell, Tracy Broyles, Laylage Courie, Rebekah Creshkoff, Rocky Davis, Ginny Hack, RaeAnn Handshy, Annie Hat, Nancy Peterman.
MUSICIANS: Sarah Alden, Zoe Christiansen, Rima Fand, Doug Rogers, Hannah Temple.
Stage Management by Aubrey Ellis and Assistant Stage Manager Brendan Dromazos. Technical Direction by Zoot, and Brett Keyser on Tech/web.
Brad Krumholz is the Co-Artistic Director of NACL.
Jessica Lopez Barkl, Jessica Beveridge, Bradley Diuguid, Conrado Falco, Brett Hughes, Oliver King, Tannis Kowalchuk, Simon Kowalchuk-Swartz, Daniel Lendzian, Nick Lopez, Keith McHenry, Brian Ritchie, John Roth, Yurika Sase, Peter Walsh, Sajda Waite, Debra Winger.
STILT CORPS: Gregg Erickson, Corinna Grunn, Mark Keoppen, Desmond Oxford McDonald, Adrianne Picciano, John Roth, Jon Jon Thomas, Sunny Thomas, Tyler Young, Michael Chojnicki.
CHORUS: Melissa Bell, Tracy Broyles, Laylage Courie, Rebekah Creshkoff, Rocky Davis, Ginny Hack, RaeAnn Handshy, Annie Hat, Nancy Peterman.
MUSICIANS: Sarah Alden, Zoe Christiansen, Rima Fand, Doug Rogers, Hannah Temple.
Stage Management by Aubrey Ellis and Assistant Stage Manager Brendan Dromazos. Technical Direction by Zoot, and Brett Keyser on Tech/web.
Brad Krumholz is the Co-Artistic Director of NACL.