For my first season at Cheshire Academy, I was apart of the stage crew of the fall play. The name of the play is The Caucasian Chalk Circle, written by Bertolt Brecht. I worked at all the shows November 9-11, 2017 in the Black Box Theater of Cheshire Academy. For our school's production of the play, Mr. Aronson directed and some of the main characters include Grusha, Simon, Azdak, Natella Abashwili, the Singer, and Michael. The plot of this show is told by the Singer, who doesn't actually sing. Grusha, a peasant servant of the royal Natella Abashwili, finds Michael Abashwili, who is the royal heir, in the midst of the war that her fioncé is fighting in. Michael is found alone and forgotten about. She takes him and flees the dangerous area as she intends to keep him safe. Over the course of the first act, Grusha tries to avoid running into Natella and her armed forces who are rapidly looking for the child. Grusha adopts the child, and finds ways to get him food and shelter. The second act of the show focuses on the trial between Grusha and Natella for the right of Michael. Azdak, the judge of this trial, tried to find justice for the case and has to decide who the rightful mother is. The name of the play, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, comes from the test that Azdak creates to once and for all decipher who the real mother is, as he literally takes a white piece of chalk and draws a circle for the child to stand in as the two women pull against each other to pull Michael towards herself. Grusha never pulled Michael toward her, and she explained herself saying that she loves the child and how she has taken care of him and could never hurt him. Azdak respects and values what Grusha says and grants her custody of the child.
Intertwined into this play are many themes. One theme includes selflessness. Grusha is an example, since she is always providing for the child, not even considering herself or her well being. Her journey was all about caring for Michael and making sure that he was safe and raised right. One of Grusha’s lines during the trial was “I always found him something to eat. Most of the time he had a roof over his head. And I went to such trouble for him. I had expenses to. I didn't look out for my own comfort.” Another example of selflessness in this show is when Lavrenti, Grusha’s brother, allows her and the child to stay in their home for the winter. Understanding the circumstances, Lavrenti realizes that Grisham is in need of help and gives them a place to stay, even though it could be an inconvenience.
There were also many costume and set choices made to produce this show. Brecht wanted his productions to not have brand sets or intricate costumes, but wanted to have the actors provide the entertainment. So, every actor has the same type of flannel shirt, half being in green, the other half in gray. To distinguish between characters, all that was added was a coat, or hat, or prop, but the costumes were very basic as Brecht would want. The set was fairly simple too. There was a bridge on the back wall to provide dimension, and three platforms on wheels. One of the platforms had a table and bench on it to act as the peasant couple’s house. The second platform had three nice chairs, a cart with glass cups and a pitcher, and a footrest to be Lavrenti’s house. The last platform had three chairs and a small, table and it acted as the judges box during the trial. Although they weren't supposed, to be large, they did add context for setting to the audience.
My favorite actor in the play was Grusha. Sam, who played Grusha, had to portray a poor, peasant woman. To do this, she walked with her head down sometimes, and walked unsurely at times to show uncertainty. She also would say her lines the way a peasant would. This could mean saying them quieter at times, or when angry, going off about how society is wrong. She did a very good job of balancing playing a poor person, but also the confidence of knowing that she is the rightful mother.
Overall, this play is probably confusing to some. But after listening to it many times, I really enjoyed the show and the story. I liked how it was almost two stories in one, between Grusha and Azdak, and Grusha and Natella. I learned a lot about lighting and construction of the set. I learned that the set adds character and dimension, as well as context for the audience, even if it is just simple platforms. The show was very fun to be apart of and it was enjoyable to be apart of it.
Intertwined into this play are many themes. One theme includes selflessness. Grusha is an example, since she is always providing for the child, not even considering herself or her well being. Her journey was all about caring for Michael and making sure that he was safe and raised right. One of Grusha’s lines during the trial was “I always found him something to eat. Most of the time he had a roof over his head. And I went to such trouble for him. I had expenses to. I didn't look out for my own comfort.” Another example of selflessness in this show is when Lavrenti, Grusha’s brother, allows her and the child to stay in their home for the winter. Understanding the circumstances, Lavrenti realizes that Grisham is in need of help and gives them a place to stay, even though it could be an inconvenience.
There were also many costume and set choices made to produce this show. Brecht wanted his productions to not have brand sets or intricate costumes, but wanted to have the actors provide the entertainment. So, every actor has the same type of flannel shirt, half being in green, the other half in gray. To distinguish between characters, all that was added was a coat, or hat, or prop, but the costumes were very basic as Brecht would want. The set was fairly simple too. There was a bridge on the back wall to provide dimension, and three platforms on wheels. One of the platforms had a table and bench on it to act as the peasant couple’s house. The second platform had three nice chairs, a cart with glass cups and a pitcher, and a footrest to be Lavrenti’s house. The last platform had three chairs and a small, table and it acted as the judges box during the trial. Although they weren't supposed, to be large, they did add context for setting to the audience.
My favorite actor in the play was Grusha. Sam, who played Grusha, had to portray a poor, peasant woman. To do this, she walked with her head down sometimes, and walked unsurely at times to show uncertainty. She also would say her lines the way a peasant would. This could mean saying them quieter at times, or when angry, going off about how society is wrong. She did a very good job of balancing playing a poor person, but also the confidence of knowing that she is the rightful mother.
Overall, this play is probably confusing to some. But after listening to it many times, I really enjoyed the show and the story. I liked how it was almost two stories in one, between Grusha and Azdak, and Grusha and Natella. I learned a lot about lighting and construction of the set. I learned that the set adds character and dimension, as well as context for the audience, even if it is just simple platforms. The show was very fun to be apart of and it was enjoyable to be apart of it.
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