[6] Brecht considered this play to be Shakespeare's most philosophical and progressive work, which argued that "those in positions of authority [...] ought not to demand of their subjects a moral stance which they cannot adopt themselves.
After going into exile from Nazi Germany in 1933, Brecht sent the play to the Soviet playwright Sergei Tretyakov and offered it to theatres in Paris, London, New York, and Prague.
[13] Berlin saw productions of it in the East in November 1983 at the Deutsches Theater directed by Alexander Lang and a year and a half later in the West at Theatermanufaktur.
In 1998, for the Hanns Eisler Centennial, Lehrman presented a concert version with piano and 6 singers of just the songs with narration, at West Park Church in Manhattan.
In the summer of 1981, coached by Bill Castleman, students presented song excerpts translated by Lehrman at the Aspen Festival under the direction of Martha Schlamme.
[14] The Feingold translation also served as the basis for Uncivil Wars: Moving with Brecht and Eisler, an adaptation of the play which was created and directed by David Gordon.
[15] Gordon's production used all but one of the original Eisler songs, performed by Gina Leishman on piano, pump organ, accordion and ukulele.