Caucasian Calk Circle

Title: The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Author: Bertolt Brecht

Director: Aronson

Date I viewed: 11.11.2017

Location: Cheshire Academy, Black Box

Actors: Sam weed---Grusha Vashnadze, Peter Deng---Azdak/et al, The singer---Amalia, Simaon---Aaron Luo, Shalva---David, Georgi Abashwili---Jason Lin, Natella Abashwili Linda Li. 

The story began with the workers in the Milk industry and Fruit industry. They are arguing for a part of land. During the war milk industry's workers in order to avoid the war they run away. During the war the workers in the fruit industry cultivate on this land. After the World War 2 the workers of Milk industry come back to this land. They want to get their land back, they think the land belongs to them. And they let all the workers to taste the cheese in this time period, the milk workers think the taste is not as same as past, they think the cow on this land can produce high quality milk. But in the end the land is giving to the Fruit Industry. After that there is a person sing a song. The song is about 'The Caucasian Calk Circle.' In Caucasian there is a governor named George Abashwili, he has lots of money and he also has a beautiful wife and a healthy son. One day they go to the church to baptism for the baby. At the same time riot happened the nobles resist the control of George so they killed him. After that Natella afraid of the nobles so she goes back and package her clothes and began to ran away. But because of her greedy she forgets to bring her baby out of the church. Occasionally Grusha meet the baby Michael. She is hesitating about should she save this baby. When she is staring at the baby, she heard a voice: save me please. After that Grusha determined to save this baby. She decide go to her brother's house and ask for help. On the journey the baby keep crying, he is hungry, so Grusha buy a bottle of milk from god father, the milk is so expensive. Grusha decides to left the baby. But after she left she meet the soldiers. She ran away and go back to the house where she lefts the baby, and she let the women to hide the baby. She ran to a bridge the bridge is broken it's hard to walk. in order to avoid the attack from the soldier she began to cross the bridge. After she arrived her brother's home. Her brother's wife thinks Grusha is not a good girl because she has a baby without husband. So after few days her brother let Grusha married a almost died person. Azdak was a officer of a town, one day he meet Grand Dike and saved him and let him go. after Azdak realize the person is grand duke he went back to the court by accident he becomes the judge, and he going to trial the cases of Grusha and Natella abashwili. In the end Grusha won the custody of Michael.

In my opinion I think the theme of the story is don't be greedy, because greedy will bring problems. Just like the Natella she forgets her baby. In the play Grusha helps the baby and saved him. We should be a helpful person. Although you are not the mom of the baby, but if you be more patient you will become his mom. Mom loves their baby, mom won't hurt them they won't drag baby's arm in order to have the baby. 

In the play the director use dim yellow as the main stage color. When one scene finished the light turn to dark blue. On the one hand it helps to notice the audience this scene is over, on the other hand it helps the staff to change the equipment for the next scene. Usually the dim yellow light will point on the important part of the stage, if there are one character on the stage the dim yellow light will point on the character. And in the play there is a person like a narrator explaining what's happening. And the Music in the play also helps to connect the monologue and the play. In the play the most important character is Grusha the lights always point on her. Like the soldiers and the servants looks same because they wear same costume and they also do the same thing. 

I think Grusha is my favorite character. Because she is a helpful and kind person. She helps saved abashwili's son Michael. And she also spend time with the baby. She always care about the baby. When the baby feels hungry she will spend lots of money on the baby, even though the baby is not belongs to her. And the actor is Sam. She add emotion to the character, when she meet the baby she acts hesitate, and she show the emotion on her face and she also use words to explain her emotion. In the court when she thinks she lost the chance of the baby she cried. And she use his body language to show her helpless.

I like this play, because of the connection of the play and the monologue. The singer sing the song during the monologue is the same thing of the play. The milk industry's land belongs to them but they don't care about the land. Fruit Industry take care about the land. Just like the story in the play. It has a strong connection.