Jessica Hecht to Lead Brecht Adaptation A Mother Off-Broadway

Jessica Hecht will star off-Broadway in the new play A Mother, an adaptation of the seldom-produced drama by Bertolt Brecht.

Written by Neena Beber and conceived by Beber and Hecht, the play will run March 29-April 13 at Baryshnikov Arts Center. Maria Mileaf will direct.

Alongside Hecht, A Mother will feature Zane Pais, Portia Johnson, Delilah Napier, with additional casting announced later. Shura Baryshnikov is the choreographer and Mustapha Khan is musical director.

Described as part documentary and autobiography, the piece blends disco, gospel, reggae, and Jewish music to tell the story of protagonist Jess’s first love against the backdrops of the 1980 Arthur Lee McDuffie race riots in Miami. The original Brecht drama was adapted from the 1906 novel by Maxim Gorky.

The production will feature music by Khan, William Kenneth Vaughan, and Norman (Skip) Burns. Scenic design is by Neil Patel. Costumes are by Katherine Roth. Matthew Richards is the lighting designer. The show is produced in partnership with Lana Russell and Susan Kaplan, in association with the Orchard Project.