Mother Courage and Her Children
at Fullerton Union

Reviewed on October 24, 2014

Ashley Ramos
Fountain Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Fullerton Union High School's time-bending production of "Mother Courage and Her Children" presents the theatre world with a strong argument: To see backstage, or not to see backstage.

With a radiant, lyrical projection throughout the course of the story, the stage directions follow the journey of a strong-headed mother's battle between profiting off the war and caring for her children. A couple blinding lights and gun shots later, the production teaches us the unsettling result of alienating the illusion of a play from reality and letting the audience witness the crew running behind the stage.

Providing the appropriate distraction from the organized chaos behind the open black curtains is Valerie Williams, the roaring mother who could. William's performance as Mother Courage is as impressive as her ability to speak at such a loud volume and sing her lungs out. With raised eyebrows and punchy movements, William's delivers a shocking and fantastic performance.

Arcadia Eckmayer as Kattrin, the mute daughter of Mother Courage, proves that
actions really can speak louder than words. Given a script with no lines, Eckmayer flawlessly manages to provide an insight to the human psyche during wartime through a combination of frightened jumps, careless dancing, and vacant looks at her surroundings.

The ensemble as a whole appropriately drags the aspect of creepiness while transitioning between scenes. Actors would cross the stage with strictly identical movements and place props, such as their makeshift graveyard, on stage, thus creating a whole new aspect to the production.

Katya Beener serves as the master choreographer of the backstage. As a stage manager, she carefully placed every actor and crew member in precise positions so the audience could see. She surpasses the expectation of a stage manager through her ability to not only stage the movements of the backstage but to the point where it became just as much of a performance as the play itself.

Patrick Lines' use of the unhardened shadows and character silhouettes outfitted the stage to look just as that, a high school theater stage. Lines used the vigor of a spotlight on actors during monologues and solos, thus creating an aspect of alienation on stage. Between gentle white-washes of the room and blinding white and red flashes, the emotion of the story is undoubtedly apparent and overall moving.

Overall, this production of "Mother Courage and her Children" is a force to be reckoned with, just remember, it's only a play.

Ashley Ramos
Fountain Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Fullerton Union High School's time-bending production of "Mother Courage and Her Children" presents the theatre world with a strong argument: To see backstage, or not to see backstage.

With a radiant, lyrical projection throughout the course of the story, the stage directions follow the journey of a strong-headed mother's battle between profiting off the war and caring for her children. A couple blinding lights and gun shots later, the production teaches us the unsettling result of alienating the illusion of a play from reality and letting the audience witness the crew running behind the stage.

Providing the appropriate distraction from the organized chaos behind the open black curtains is Valerie Williams, the roaring mother who could. William's performance as Mother Courage is as impressive as her ability to speak at such a loud volume and sing her lungs out. With raised eyebrows and punchy movements, William's delivers a shocking and fantastic performance.

Arcadia Eckmayer as Kattrin, the mute daughter of Mother Courage, proves that
actions really can speak louder than words. Given a script with no lines, Eckmayer flawlessly manages to provide an insight to the human psyche during wartime through a combination of frightened jumps, careless dancing, and vacant looks at her surroundings.

The ensemble as a whole appropriately drags the aspect of creepiness while transitioning between scenes. Actors would cross the stage with strictly identical movements and place props, such as their makeshift graveyard, on stage, thus creating a whole new aspect to the production.

Katya Beener serves as the master choreographer of the backstage. As a stage manager, she carefully placed every actor and crew member in precise positions so the audience could see. She surpasses the expectation of a stage manager through her ability to not only stage the movements of the backstage but to the point where it became just as much of a performance as the play itself.

Patrick Lines' use of the unhardened shadows and character silhouettes outfitted the stage to look just as that, a high school theater stage. Lines used the vigor of a spotlight on actors during monologues and solos, thus creating an aspect of alienation on stage. Between gentle white-washes of the room and blinding white and red flashes, the emotion of the story is undoubtedly apparent and overall moving.

Overall, this production of "Mother Courage and her Children" is a force to be reckoned with, just remember, it's only a play.

Jackson Maxwell
Mission Viejo High School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

A courageous performance from Fullerton Union

Fullerton Union High School's superb production of "Mother Courage and Her Children" tackles the gravity and devastation that war brings, following a group of petty peddlers as they eke out a living in conflict's midst. Consisting of the mother, her children, and a few migratory travelers, the repercussions of war become all too prevalent as each child is violently taken from her.

The show begins with a rock 'n' roll entrance by Valerie Williams as the undoubted matriarch of the show, Mother Courage. With powerful, resonant vocals and extravagant gesturing, she is completely captivating; nevertheless, she continues to be the main driving force throughout the performance, accentuating her astounding endurance.

Just as enthralling is Arcadia Eckmayer as the Mother's mute daughter Kattrin, whose panicked, raw emotions show insight into her character's psyche. From desperately running towards her newly-conscripted brother to dauntlessly drumming a town awake, she shows how truly loud a silent character can be. Her quiet, introverted nature is juxtaposed with contrasting characters such as the Cook, played by Josiah Haugen. The cook's, whose boisterous belligerence is underscored by a booming baritone and substantial stage presence. His initial hostility, however, turns to empathetic vulnerability in his final confrontation with Mother Courage, during which his former aggression metamorphoses into forlorn reluctance.

The sensational acting of the production is heightened by its tremendous technical ambitions. Patrick Lines' lighting design maintains true Brechtian style through the almost exclusive use of glaring, white spill light. The most spectacular scenes utilize a spellbinding array of modern effects, including flashes of red to accent the disorderly disarray of war.

In addition, Sonia Mendez's costume design is exceptional, with apparel from a variety of ages emphasizing the timelessness of Brecht's antiwar theme. Many characters adorn themselves with military uniforms from different decades, a reminder that no matter what the circumstances, war's catastrophic consequences are the same.

The most outstanding technical aspect, however, would undoubtedly be Delaney Echavarria's projection design, which communicates the stage directions of the performance to the audience in real time. Accordingly, the use of a blotted, archaic font characteristic of a 1940's typewriter helps to underline the production's militaristic subject matter.

Fullerton Union High School's production is a provocative piece that punctuates the sentiments of war, brilliantly blending powerful performances with masterful design to create profound political commentary that is still relevant today.

Jackson Maxwell
Mission Viejo High School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

A courageous performance from Fullerton Union

Fullerton Union High School's superb production of "Mother Courage and Her Children" tackles the gravity and devastation that war brings, following a group of petty peddlers as they eke out a living in conflict's midst. Consisting of the mother, her children, and a few migratory travelers, the repercussions of war become all too prevalent as each child is violently taken from her.

The show begins with a rock 'n' roll entrance by Valerie Williams as the undoubted matriarch of the show, Mother Courage. With powerful, resonant vocals and extravagant gesturing, she is completely captivating; nevertheless, she continues to be the main driving force throughout the performance, accentuating her astounding endurance.

Just as enthralling is Arcadia Eckmayer as the Mother's mute daughter Kattrin, whose panicked, raw emotions show insight into her character's psyche. From desperately running towards her newly-conscripted brother to dauntlessly drumming a town awake, she shows how truly loud a silent character can be. Her quiet, introverted nature is juxtaposed with contrasting characters such as the Cook, played by Josiah Haugen. The cook's, whose boisterous belligerence is underscored by a booming baritone and substantial stage presence. His initial hostility, however, turns to empathetic vulnerability in his final confrontation with Mother Courage, during which his former aggression metamorphoses into forlorn reluctance.

The sensational acting of the production is heightened by its tremendous technical ambitions. Patrick Lines' lighting design maintains true Brechtian style through the almost exclusive use of glaring, white spill light. The most spectacular scenes utilize a spellbinding array of modern effects, including flashes of red to accent the disorderly disarray of war.

In addition, Sonia Mendez's costume design is exceptional, with apparel from a variety of ages emphasizing the timelessness of Brecht's antiwar theme. Many characters adorn themselves with military uniforms from different decades, a reminder that no matter what the circumstances, war's catastrophic consequences are the same.

The most outstanding technical aspect, however, would undoubtedly be Delaney Echavarria's projection design, which communicates the stage directions of the performance to the audience in real time. Accordingly, the use of a blotted, archaic font characteristic of a 1940's typewriter helps to underline the production's militaristic subject matter.

Fullerton Union High School's production is a provocative piece that punctuates the sentiments of war, brilliantly blending powerful performances with masterful design to create profound political commentary that is still relevant today.

Olivia Robertson
Aliso Niguel High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

"Mother Courage and Her Children " will not soon be forgotten.

Fullerton Union High School has a great deal of courage in undertaking such a thought provoking, unconventional show such as "Mother Courage and Her Children". Such a show poses a great challenge, a challenge Fullerton Union has met and completed quite profoundly.

The extravagant Mother Courage, portrayed by Valerie Williams, dominates the stage as she endures all the trials and tribulations of being a single mother trying to make a living during the war. Throughout the production, Williams never loses her vibe, giving energy to every line and every action. Arcadia Eckmayer, Mother Courage's only daughter Kattrin, delivers an astounding silent performance. Each flick of the eyes, each furrow of the brow, each change in posture exemplifies Kattrin's emotions and reactions stunningly.

The twist in this production is that it incorporates uniforms and weapons from an array of time periods. This poses an obstacle for Sonia Mendez, which she handled beautifully. The mix of modern day attire and war uniforms from as early as the 17th century accentuates the message of the show; war is war and it affects us all.

The makeup crew excelled beyond expectations with the intricate, gruesome injuries and scars of the soldiers affected by war. An especially noteworthy mention is the scarring on the face and neck of the cook, a result of an accident with boiling water. The perfectly blended discoloration and elaborate disfigurement of the skin was impressive beyond words.

A concept uncommon to theatre that is introduced in this show is keeping the backstage areas visible to the audience, exposing members of the crew and set changes. Such a concept could easily become a distraction, but the excellently organized stage management of Katya Beener and McKenna Vargas proved this to not be the case. Well planned and efficient set changes facilitated the complex transitions from scene to scene.

Great attention to detail and a combined effort from both cast and crew produced a wonderfully executed production. Though it required much time and effort, no doubt, that time and effort was put to good use. "Mother Courage and Her Children " will not soon be forgotten.

Olivia Robertson
Aliso Niguel High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

"Mother Courage and Her Children " will not soon be forgotten.

Fullerton Union High School has a great deal of courage in undertaking such a thought provoking, unconventional show such as "Mother Courage and Her Children". Such a show poses a great challenge, a challenge Fullerton Union has met and completed quite profoundly.

The extravagant Mother Courage, portrayed by Valerie Williams, dominates the stage as she endures all the trials and tribulations of being a single mother trying to make a living during the war. Throughout the production, Williams never loses her vibe, giving energy to every line and every action. Arcadia Eckmayer, Mother Courage's only daughter Kattrin, delivers an astounding silent performance. Each flick of the eyes, each furrow of the brow, each change in posture exemplifies Kattrin's emotions and reactions stunningly.

The twist in this production is that it incorporates uniforms and weapons from an array of time periods. This poses an obstacle for Sonia Mendez, which she handled beautifully. The mix of modern day attire and war uniforms from as early as the 17th century accentuates the message of the show; war is war and it affects us all.

The makeup crew excelled beyond expectations with the intricate, gruesome injuries and scars of the soldiers affected by war. An especially noteworthy mention is the scarring on the face and neck of the cook, a result of an accident with boiling water. The perfectly blended discoloration and elaborate disfigurement of the skin was impressive beyond words.

A concept uncommon to theatre that is introduced in this show is keeping the backstage areas visible to the audience, exposing members of the crew and set changes. Such a concept could easily become a distraction, but the excellently organized stage management of Katya Beener and McKenna Vargas proved this to not be the case. Well planned and efficient set changes facilitated the complex transitions from scene to scene.

Great attention to detail and a combined effort from both cast and crew produced a wonderfully executed production. Though it required much time and effort, no doubt, that time and effort was put to good use. "Mother Courage and Her Children " will not soon be forgotten.