Because he often likes to create personal pieces around the current works he is inhabiting (like his Body of Proof musical and his Trust Me taglines), he of course created one around Mother Courage. It's one of my all-time favorites, and I'm so happy Meryl Streep gave the go-ahead to release.
That's right. Meryl Streep is in it. and Kevin Kline.
I'll let Geoff explain the rest.
"This video was conceived and directed by Fred Weller and myself during the summer of 2006, while we were playing brothers in the Public Theater's production of "Mother Courage and Her Children," at the Delacorte Theater in NYC. We showed this video on opening night, immediately after the curtain dropped and then it was never seen again. Until now, that is.
While watching, you must understand that this was one giant inside joke. It was made for the cast and crew, so the comedy refers to things that happened while preparing and performing the play. Many of the impersonations are of actual cast members. Also Christopher Walken WAS a part of the show for three days, before he dropped out. That sequence imagining the last moments of that collaboration uses several actors to portray George Wolfe, the director.
On a personal note, this was one of the greatest and terrifying summers of my life. Every day for two months, I got to work and play with a cast and crew brimming with insane brilliance. It was summer camp on steroids; not only did I make friends that I'll keep for the rest of my life, but I learned more about performance in one summer than I did in four years of conservatory training. This video would not have been possible without the support of everyone involved in the production, though I must single out the generous genius George Wolfe and the indefatigably kind Meryl Streep for playing along. Without those two, none of this would have ever happened.
I hope you enjoy it!
Geoffrey Arend"
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