2020. 3. 4. 07:19ㆍ카테고리 없음
This is a lovely production of an all too rarely produced play. I love new plays, but this is an old rare gem that keeps me thinking a week later.gorgeous work.' - Patron'The payoff is that the intimate is truly intimate, and sweeps the audience not just into its embrace, but also into a kind of active partnership. As the tales spin out things become clearer and clearer. The quieter moments take precedence, and an emotional gravity grabs hold.'
-Bob Hicks, Oregon Artswatch'With weighty dialogue about political revolution, cheeky humor and abstract staging, Chalk Circle is a lot to make sense of. But it's also lively and often hilarious, and there are moments that are as imaginative as they are emotionally effective.' - Shannon Gormley, Willamette Week. 'I got to see a preview of Caucasian Chalk Circle last night, and I highly, highly recommend it. Ambitious, visually stunning, THEATRICAL. It is an experience, and you shouldn't miss it.' - Patron'Would highly recommend going to see The Caucasian Chalk Circle at Shaking the Tree Theatre in Portland.
Not only a great show, but an awesome theatre experience!' -Theatre Student'I had a rich marathon theatre experience last night with The Caucasian Chalk Circle at Shaking the Tree. The play is a monster of parable, history, commentary, story, law, injustice, and basic human emotion-you know, all the stuff we have to reckon with before breakfast. It's played, dance, strummed and sung out energetically, artfully, intensely. In other words ensemble theatre at it's very best.
This is 'why theatre?' Thank you talented cast, crew, Tech, supporters, and especially Samantha Van Der Merwe for a rare production.' The Caucasian Chalk Circle is concerned with a woman’s epic journey of love and risk, a parable inspired by the Chinese play Chalk Circle. Written at the close of World War II, the story is set in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, and retells the tale of King Solomon and a child claimed by two mothers. A chalk circle is metaphorically drawn around a society misdirected by its priorities. Brecht's statements about class are cloaked in the innocence of a fable that whispers insistently to the audience.
Few authors have had such a dramatic effect as Bertolt Brecht. His work has helped to shape a generation of writers, theatergoers, and thinkers. His plays are studied worldwide as texts that changed the face of theater. The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a parable inspired by the Chinese play Chalk Circle. Written at the close of World War II, the story is set in the Caucasus Few authors have had such a dramatic effect as Bertolt Brecht.
His work has helped to shape a generation of writers, theatergoers, and thinkers. His plays are studied worldwide as texts that changed the face of theater. The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a parable inspired by the Chinese play Chalk Circle.
Written at the close of World War II, the story is set in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia. It retells the tale of King Solomon and a child claimed by and fought over by two mothers. But this chalk circle is metaphorically drawn around a society misdirected in its priorities. Brecht's statements about class are cloaked in the innocence of a fable that whispers insistently to the audience.No translations of Brecht's work are as reliable and compelling as Eric Bentley's. These versions are widely viewed as the standard renderings of Brecht's work, ensuring that future generations of readers will come in close contact with the work of a playwright who introduced a new way of thinking about the theater. When the sharks the sharks devourLittle fishes have their hour.This might be the Master at his finest, remarkably both modern and ancient, timeless parables are bracketed in the struggle against fascists with an all too human squalor that likely made Stalin squeal.The play within the play is apparently from an ancient Chinese tale, it proved unexpectedly surprising.
Grusha is a wonderful, highly developed protagonist, unlike the Portia of Venice, her motivation isn't guile but an almost When the sharks the sharks devourLittle fishes have their hour.This might be the Master at his finest, remarkably both modern and ancient, timeless parables are bracketed in the struggle against fascists with an all too human squalor that likely made Stalin squeal.The play within the play is apparently from an ancient Chinese tale, it proved unexpectedly surprising. Grusha is a wonderful, highly developed protagonist, unlike the Portia of Venice, her motivation isn't guile but an almost childish concept of loyalty and justice. No doubt Brecht embraced this unlikely refuge even as the world around him was collapsing into barbarism. The title refers to the Chinese story of a judge placing a child in a chalked circle and the two women claiming to be the mother are asked to remove the child, the nominal reason being that only the true parent could extricate the young one.
As the reasoning goes the judge awards the child to the woman who didn't attempt to remove the child for fear of harming it. This is replicated by Brecht with certain human caveats about the stewards of justice and the greasing of palms. Bertolt Brecht considered himself to be a great author which is not terribly surprising as most people are at least partially self-delusion.
What is more surprising is how many people agreed with Brecht's high opinion of himself during the middle decades of the Twentieth Century.In fact Brecht had a wicked sense of humour and a great instincts on how to use the space on the stage to best effect. As a result he produced a number of highly entertaining plays that had audiences laughing in the Bertolt Brecht considered himself to be a great author which is not terribly surprising as most people are at least partially self-delusion. What is more surprising is how many people agreed with Brecht's high opinion of himself during the middle decades of the Twentieth Century.In fact Brecht had a wicked sense of humour and a great instincts on how to use the space on the stage to best effect. As a result he produced a number of highly entertaining plays that had audiences laughing in the four corners of the world.The Caucasian Chalk Circle is an amusing fairy tale set in the Georgian Caucasus about the judgements rendered by the village idiot that an invading army has installed as a magistrate as a joke.
Not too surprisingly the village idiot proves to an excellent judge during his very short term.If properly staged, the Caucasian Chalk Circle is extremely funny and offers a great evening at the theatre. You might want to consider taking in a performance if the opportunity ever presents itself. I saw a production of this but I have not read it yet. Brecht's ideas are abstract and they kept me wondering about the fairy-tale like quality. Grusha, a servant working for a snobbish aristocratic woman (Natella), cares for the child (Michael) who Natella left behind. Grusha is selfless and she gives everything she can to him.
When the case is brought to court with the judge named Azdak, the chalk circle is drawn to put the child in. Brecht's ideas intrigued me here. Grusha and Natella are I saw a production of this but I have not read it yet. Brecht's ideas are abstract and they kept me wondering about the fairy-tale like quality. Grusha, a servant working for a snobbish aristocratic woman (Natella), cares for the child (Michael) who Natella left behind. Grusha is selfless and she gives everything she can to him. When the case is brought to court with the judge named Azdak, the chalk circle is drawn to put the child in.
Brecht's ideas intrigued me here. Grusha and Natella are asked to pull at him to see who is the real mother.
Grusha is the true mother because she could not bear to hurt the child she raised and cared for. This play is not about emotions.
It is supposed to be unsentimental. I liked it for its historical context and its ideas, because it was meaningful. The play was originally written in German and it premiered in the United States in 1948.
I finished reading this a couple weeks ago for my Theatre class and yes, it's that genius Brecht whom everyone has heard of yet no one quite understands. Brecht's works and techniques aiming to completely and utterly emotionally isolate the audience of his plays create confusion as to how the characters should act or whether they should act at all and they SHOULD. The Caucasian Chalk Cirle threads together two conflicts regarding the ownership of farmed land after the second world war, and uses I finished reading this a couple weeks ago for my Theatre class and yes, it's that genius Brecht whom everyone has heard of yet no one quite understands.
Brecht's works and techniques aiming to completely and utterly emotionally isolate the audience of his plays create confusion as to how the characters should act or whether they should act at all and they SHOULD. The Caucasian Chalk Cirle threads together two conflicts regarding the ownership of farmed land after the second world war, and uses sly morals to show how power drives people to do insane things as in the ancient Chinese tale 'The Circle of Chalk' (Brecht's plays usually used ideas from ancient fables).
By confusing you with things like having the characters refer to themselves in third person, the sudden gestures and expressions (gestus), Brecht truly accomplishes a state of uneasiness, making the reader (audience, better put) question what they're seeing and encouraging a thought process that evaluates the nature of our system. This man is suave af. Soviet landlords and workers argue about who's the right owner of the land. A marxist discussion which the workers will win in the end.
Caucasian Chalk Circle Script Pdf File
To pronise us the illusion of an objective topic solved in an objective manner, Bretch employs a play inside the play technique with roots in the ancient chinese legend of the chalk circle, which is a lot like its widely known counterpart in the judeochristian tradition: the story of King Salomon.It's a sugar coated version, Marx'd up version of The Augsburg Soviet landlords and workers argue about who's the right owner of the land. A marxist discussion which the workers will win in the end.
I once acted in a powerful production of Brecht's satirical masterpiece in, of all places, Kampala, UgandaI suppose the play can be summarised as follows: The city burns in the heat of civil war and a servant girl sacrifices everything to protect an abandoned child. But when peace is finally restored, the boy's mother comes to claim him. Calling upon the ancient tradition of the Chalk Circle, a comical judge sets about resolving the dispute.
But in a culture of corruption and deception, who I once acted in a powerful production of Brecht's satirical masterpiece in, of all places, Kampala, UgandaI suppose the play can be summarised as follows: The city burns in the heat of civil war and a servant girl sacrifices everything to protect an abandoned child. But when peace is finally restored, the boy's mother comes to claim him. Calling upon the ancient tradition of the Chalk Circle, a comical judge sets about resolving the dispute. But in a culture of corruption and deception, who wins?Well, you can probably guess the ending and I won't spoil it for you. It is a brilliant play and when performed in a country as corrupt as Uganda was in 1965/66 and at a time of civil war it becomes even more poignant!!!!!!!!!! The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a nuanced parable about ownership rights. The two central conflicts concern land rights and parental rights over an abandoned child.
As one might expect of the communist-sympathizing playwright, the importance of utilitarian and communitarian consequences outweigh traditional rights, private property, and blood relations. Furthermore, Brecht extensively uses comedic irony to reveal the absurdities of capitalist logic.However, the context of the main conflicts and The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a nuanced parable about ownership rights. The two central conflicts concern land rights and parental rights over an abandoned child. As one might expect of the communist-sympathizing playwright, the importance of utilitarian and communitarian consequences outweigh traditional rights, private property, and blood relations. Furthermore, Brecht extensively uses comedic irony to reveal the absurdities of capitalist logic.However, the context of the main conflicts and their 'resolutions' problematize any simple, generalizable conclusions about communism or political systems. While the play clearly casts communism in a positive light, the circumstances of these events qualify the resolutions and cast doubt on communism as a final solution to conflict over ownership.
First, both decisions are made within uncertain, tumultuous historical moments (post-WWII reconstruction and a revolutionary period of the middle ages). Perhaps communist values work because of the singular circumstances.
Secondly, in the decision over parental rights, the key decision-maker may be self-interested rather than communitarian and altruistic. Further, many ascendant members of the community are clearly not happy to accept his final judgment. Finally, Brecht leaves the future consequences of both decisions open-ended. We see the events and arguments leading up to the decision but we don't see any of the consequences of those decisions.Thus, the play conveys tentative hope for communism, but leaves plenty of room to remain relevant in the event of communism's failure (which I'd argue is part of the reason why this play and Brecht's work in general has remained significant). Once again this was as easy to read as wading through porridge. The concept was interesting but that is all I enjoyed about this play. In all honesty I'm not particularly fond of Brecht's theatre in general.
He loathed theatre that did nothing but provided entertainment, 'after dinner theatre' he called it. Instead he wanted his audience to leave thinking, questioning and did everything in his power to reiterate that this was simply a production.
The Caucasian Chalk Circle, therefore, in my Once again this was as easy to read as wading through porridge. The concept was interesting but that is all I enjoyed about this play. In all honesty I'm not particularly fond of Brecht's theatre in general. He loathed theatre that did nothing but provided entertainment, 'after dinner theatre' he called it. Instead he wanted his audience to leave thinking, questioning and did everything in his power to reiterate that this was simply a production.
The Caucasian Chalk Circle Dramaturgy
The Caucasian Chalk Circle, therefore, in my opinion attempts to be smart without much impact. I didn't want to start a revolution. I didn't feel anything other than dear god why are there still so many pages left.In fact I can't tell you what happens, because I can't remember what happens.
Nor can I clearly remember who is who because they have multiple names and none are used consistently. I know there was a cook that saved a child but then the child's birth mother appeared back on the scene and wanted her baby back. So they did the whole pull the child whoever pulls it out of this chalk circle wins and is the mother etc.
Basically, it's a little Jeremy Kyle-esque.It's unfair to say I hated this.because I didn't. Every book I read for my degree I loathe a little bit. Mainly because I haven't read a book for pleasure in such a long time now and my TBR pile has become a mountain range. I read this back when i was in HSC, about a million years ago. It was interesting to come back to it after all that time.returnreturnWay back then, we were told that it was about land ownership and socialism, but it turns out that that's not the case. In fact, to quote the rather helpful introductory comments by the legendary Eric Bentley: 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle is not an inquiry into the dispute over ownership presented in the prologue but a celebration of the assignment of the land to I read this back when i was in HSC, about a million years ago.
It was interesting to come back to it after all that time.returnreturnWay back then, we were told that it was about land ownership and socialism, but it turns out that that's not the case. In fact, to quote the rather helpful introductory comments by the legendary Eric Bentley: 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle is not an inquiry into the dispute over ownership presented in the prologue but a celebration of the assignment of the land to 'those who are good for it'.' An interesting little play set in Soviet Russia and focusing on the fate of a baby and its adoptive mother.The story itself is extremely simple outside of the text-within-a-text-within-a-text aspect that builds up from the first part, and then just after the middle; it's the story of King Solomon and the baby, just with more of a prelude, and very communist.The 'communism' is sort of a problem to being able to sincerely enjoy what it has to say. Any people who aren't serfs are cruel idiots, An interesting little play set in Soviet Russia and focusing on the fate of a baby and its adoptive mother.The story itself is extremely simple outside of the text-within-a-text-within-a-text aspect that builds up from the first part, and then just after the middle; it's the story of King Solomon and the baby, just with more of a prelude, and very communist.The 'communism' is sort of a problem to being able to sincerely enjoy what it has to say. Any people who aren't serfs are cruel idiots, but for some reason the peasants are also cruel idiots, save for the pure-hearted protagonist and her spouse.
It feels very mean-spirited - Azdak the judge is at least humorous and feels like a Diogenes in character, but the rest of the people make for a remarkably ugly and materialist world. Conveniently, the (Soviet) characters in the framing story at the beginning are all reasonable to the point of disregarding their own interests for the sake of a common good, which I'm not sure connects well with the main story itself.I didn't dislike it, but it did feel like the author was speaking a little too much through the entire cast at me, and that it wasn't really sure what he was saying in doing so. This play is almost too comical to take seriously. I was summarizing the plot to my dad, and when broken down into simple sentences, it's hard not to laugh at the ridiculous situations in which Brecht places the characters. It was quite enjoyable even for someone like me who could not care less about the socialist and Marxist implications that the other reviewers caught on to.
It also has satirical and parabolic qualities, making it an ideal work for literature classes to study-there is This play is almost too comical to take seriously. I was summarizing the plot to my dad, and when broken down into simple sentences, it's hard not to laugh at the ridiculous situations in which Brecht places the characters.
It was quite enjoyable even for someone like me who could not care less about the socialist and Marxist implications that the other reviewers caught on to. It also has satirical and parabolic qualities, making it an ideal work for literature classes to study-there is something for most students to take away from it. It's true that there is nothing particularly unique or original about the plot and characters, but that is pretty standard for literature with parable undertones. Some literature works well when executed simplistically, and this is one of them.Ultimately, I found this play to be a quick and enjoyable read, and I appreciate how it can be enjoyed both at surface level but also spark thought for deeper exploration and discussion.
I read the English translation of Caucasian Chalk Circle again recently. I had read the Sinhala adaptation done by Henry Jayasena, the Hunuwataye Kathawa as a schoolboy as it was in the syllabus. Then I read it again for Advanced Level English literature in English in 1998. This time I read it just for fun. I have watched Henry Jayasena’s drama on TV. Henry Jayasena was excellent as Azdak.
I wish Grusha’s character was done by a younger actress.I am yet to watch an English language version. I I read the English translation of Caucasian Chalk Circle again recently. I had read the Sinhala adaptation done by Henry Jayasena, the Hunuwataye Kathawa as a schoolboy as it was in the syllabus. Then I read it again for Advanced Level English literature in English in 1998.
This time I read it just for fun. I have watched Henry Jayasena’s drama on TV. Henry Jayasena was excellent as Azdak. I wish Grusha’s character was done by a younger actress.I am yet to watch an English language version.
I did not find any good version on YouTube either. My favorite character is Azdak. I do love Grusha too but Azdak has a profound role as it is not just a white character. Specially, the arguments between Azdak and Simon in the courts using idioms are beautifully written. Can someone tell me where I can buy a DVD of the English language drama?