Theater of War

Meryl Streep is an unforgettable Mother Courage in Tony Kushner's adaptation of the Brecht masterpiece, presented by The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park during summer 2006. Filmmaker John Walter's earlier documentary, How to Draw a Bunny, explored the psychological ramifications of the life and art of Ray Johnson. His new movie could easily have been a star vehicle for Streep and Kevin Kline. Instead he digs deeply into Brecht's motives and politics, unearthing the playwright's famed (and famously clever) testimony before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee (the day after which he quit the United States). Theater of War is about theater and war, capitalism and Marxism, the postwar antiCommunist hysteria of the 1950s, and one literary genius's ability to make art from them all. "In his inspired, inspiring essayistic documentary, Theater of War, John Walter jumps from art to history and politics and back again, from the theater of the streets to the theater of the stage, without pause … There is much to admire in a movie in which intelligent adults … discuss art as if it matters (because it does) … Much of the movie's pleasure comes from watching another brilliant performance take shape as Ms. Streep tries out different line readings, gestures, and poses in her search for Mother Courage." —Manohla Dargis, The New York Times Matinee $6.00