To see Stahr Performing Arts Center packed Thursday night with people eager to experience a production of Bertolt Brecht's antiwar treatise "Mother Courage and Her Children" was truly heartening.
Even more impressive: The disposition of those in attendance seemed to indicate they had come as much to satisfy a yen for theater in the modern idiom as to show artistic solidarity in a time of war.
Theater of the Seventh Sister is the only local troupe outside of college theater that possesses the fortitude (or perhaps foolhardiness) to stage anything by Brecht, whose theater of the mind appeals to a "targeted" audience, which is to say it doesn't always sell a lot of tickets.
More the shame, then, that when the seats were filled, the offering fell short of top form. Despite the efforts of a talented, energetic ensemble, the opening performance of "Mother Courage" sagged under the uncharacteristically flaccid leadership of its matron.
Terry Mastrobuono, whose vitality has been a trademark of the Lancaster theater scene for many years, seemed overburdened by the weight of the titular role, and at times appeared downright ill. By the end of the show, her thin voice had nearly dissipated. She didn't need applause; she needed chicken soup.
I have a hard time believing Mastrobuono doesn't have more to bring to this role, which is one of the meatier offerings in the repertoire.
Mother Courage, a hyena of the 17th-century European war zone, wanders from battlefield to battlefield, her cartload of wares and three children — Eilif (Wade Andrew Corder), Swiss Cheese (Matt Hudacs) and Katrin (Stephanie Jo Wise) — in tow. Her dedication to war-driven commerce occasionally exceeds her dedication to her children and indirectly leads to the demise of all three.
This bare-bones plot provides enough of a skeleton for Brecht to flesh out his politics and opinions on the destructive tendencies of mankind. Fortunately, Brecht, and this play, are not without heart.
Heroism lies not on the battlefield, but in the perseverance of Mother Courage's mute daughter, Katrin.
Stephanie Jo Wise steals the spotlight, if such a thing is possible in an ensemble-driven show such as this, in a role the playwright clearly favors. Without words, Katrin repeatedly demonstrates the power of her compassion in the face of constant torment. The inability to speak, Brecht tells us, is a gift from God, and Katrin is his able messenger.
Joining Wise at the top are Brian Martin, whose intensity as a conflicted chaplain hiding out with Mother Courage keeps the show on pace, and Cynthia Charles, who excels as a battlefield harlot.
The show's musical accompaniment, deftly and sometimes beautifully composed by Stephen Spiese, adds nuance and flavor to Brecht's canticles.
Despite a languid debut, I would encourage anyone to give "Mother Courage" a chance. Mastrobuono no doubt will improve, and who knows if or when Seventh Sister will be able to afford to stage Brecht again.
The TSS production of "Mother Courage and Her Children" runs through March 30 at Stahr Performing Arts Center, 428 N. Queen St., in downtown Lancaster. For ticket information, call 396-7764 or send an e-mail to boxoffice@seventhsister.com.
Michael Long is editor of the Entertainment section. His email is mlong@lnpnews.com.
