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TRANSCRIPT
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Due in date: Friday 22 nd May 2020 (please upload to Hand-In Folder with your name clearly in the title) Externals – Please email your work to Mrs Owen
A-LEVEL DRAMA AND THEATRE STUDIES COMPONENT 1, WRITTEN EXAM: SECTION A
‘THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE’ BY BERTOLT BRECHT
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Bertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt Brecht
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Before we start exploring your Section A set text, ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’, you need to have a secure understanding of its writer, Bertolt Brecht’s, life, experiences and approach to theatre to fully understand the play’s social, political and historical context.
TASK 1
Firstly, make sure you have completed and recap the revision and test on Brecht and his Epic Theatre on GCSE Bitesize: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zwmvd2p/revision/1
Now read and answer the questions below:
Bertolt Brecht was born into a middle-class family in Augsburg, Germany, at a time when the world was full of conflict and contradictions. The First World War broke out when he was just 16, heralding the beginning of a life of political, financial and personal instability for Brecht. As Hitler assumed power and fascism overtook Germany in 1933, all aspects of culture began to be controlled by a Government policy of:
“Hear nothing that we do not wish you to hear
See nothing that we do not wish you to see
Think nothing that we do not wish you to think.”
Hitler organised Germany into a single party dictatorship, intensely nationalistic, racist, militaristic and imperialist.
In a world of such turmoil and uncertainty it is no surprise that change should happen in all areas of life, including the theatre. Brecht’s passionate belief that theatre should not only reflect the world but, more importantly, change it, was the most important theme of his work. In direct contradiction to the popular genre of Naturalism, Brecht used his theories of Epic Theatre to achieve change and create the type of theatre he felt could make a difference.
Brecht’s drama owes much to a wide range of theatrical conventions: Elizabethan, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Greek idea of Chorus, Austrian and Bavarian folk-plays, techniques of clowns and fairground entertainers.
His work can be considered in three stages:
The Early Period – The plays are humorous, in a rather bleak and cynical way, and present social and political questions, attacking bourgeois values. The plays are innovative, rejecting the convention of the fourth wall, stories are improbable, settings are exotic and songs serve as a commentary on the action. An example is Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), which was intended to ridicule the traditional sentimental musical.
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Lehrstücke – The Lehrstücke are short, parabolic pieces written between 1928 and 1930. These plays were experimental pieces, written with a number of collaborators including Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler and Elisabeth Hauptmann. There are also three longer propaganda plays, one of these being Die Heilige Johanna der Schlachthöfe (Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses). This parodies Shakespeare, Schiller and Goethe. It contains many devices later labelled as part of Epic Theatre, such as a loudspeaker announcing political events of the time or projection of captions commenting on the drama. The intention in writing these plays was not necessarily to culminate in a finished, final product. The performances synthesised audience and performers, opening up a new realm of possibilities for action and choice within the framework of the play. In focusing not on one final product, but rather on the process of artistic development as in a rehearsal, the Lehrstücke aimed to bring about a kind of self-realisation in those taking part.
The plays of Brecht’s maturity – Brecht's output was huge in this period but four of the later plays stand out:
Mutter Courage und Ihre Kinder (Mother Courage and her Children; first performed
1941).
Leben des Galilei (Life of Galileo, 1943).
Der Gute Mensch von Sezuan (The Good Person of Sezuan, 1943).
Der Kaukasische Kreidekreis (The Caucasian Chalk Circle – OUR SET TEXT, performed in
English, 1947; in German, not until 1954).
TASK: Research and read the brief plot synopsis for the first three plays on the list below.
Are there any reoccurring themes across these plays?
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Why do you think Brecht’s plays were so politically driven?
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TASK 2: BOOK BURNING
Watch the link below and consider your answers to the questions. You will need to come back to answering these once you know more about ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHzM1gXaiVo
Brecht’s work was destroyed in the burning of the books. His ideas were considered dangerous. This event forced him to go into exile.
As ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ was written when Brecht was in exile. How do you imagine he was feeling towards the Hitler and the Nazi’s?
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Now we have an appreciation of the turbulent times Brecht lived and created his work in, we can start to really understand his reasons for creating his very specific style of theatre.
TASK 3: Watch the clip and answer the questions below.
! You may need to watch this clip more than once to find the answers!
AN INTRODUCTION TO BRECHTIAN THEATRE
https://youtu.be/l-828KqtTkA
1. What phrase did Brecht want writing on his tombstone? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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2. Which 2 feelings/awareness did Brecht want you to have in mind when watching his work?
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3. Complete this sentence…
‘Brecht didn’t want the ………………………. to sit comfortably and
………………………… what will happen in his work.’
4. In which way does the actor, Stephen Kennedy describe how the alienation effect is created? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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5. Why are the stage crew visible in this Brechtian production?
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6. Why was Brecht’s method described as being ‘staggering’ to an audience of that time? (Think 1947, this is when ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ was first performed)
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7. List the three Brechtian techniques of alienation that Tom Pye, Set Designer, discusses.
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RESEARCH: What does the word ALIENATION mean?
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TASK 4: MATCH THE DEFINITION TO THE CORRECT ‘EPIC’ STRATEGY
KEY TERM: EPIC THEATRE = A range of theatrical devices or techniques used so that the audience were reminded throughout that they were watching theatre; a presentation of life, not real life itself.
Narration When an actor plays more than one character onstage. The differences in character are marked by changing voice, movement, gesture and body language but the audience can clearly see that the same actor has taken on more than one role. This means the audience are more aware of the fact that they are watching a presentation of events. Cross-sex casting is also possible in Epic Theatre as we don’t need to suspend our disbelief.
Speaking the stage directions
Speaking directly to the audience breaks the fourth wall and destroys any illusion of reality.
Split-role Commenting upon a character as an actor is a clear way of reminding the audience of theatricality.
Multi-rolling A placard is a sign or additional piece of written information presented onstage. Using placards might be as simple as holding up a card or banner. Multimedia or a PowerPoint slideshow can also be used for this effect. What’s important is that the information doesn’t just comment upon the action but deepens our understanding of it.
Placards Used to remind the audience that what they’re watching is a presentation of a story. Sometimes the narrator will tell us what happens in the story before it has happened. This is a good way of making sure that we don’t become emotionally involved in the action to come as we already know the outcome.
Direct address This is where more than one actor plays the same character. For instance, the actor playing the main character might rotate from scene to scene. This keeps that character representational and inhibits emotional involvement and attachment on the part of the audience.
Third person narration
This device was used by Brecht more frequently in rehearsal than performance. It helps distance the actor from the character they’re playing. It also reminds the audience that they’re watching a play and forces them to study the actions of a character in objective detail.
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I hope you now feel like you have a confident understanding of Brecht’s theatrical style. His
works are 80 years old now yet his techniques are consistently used in modern theatre.
When your write about your direction or performance of ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ you
will be performing for modern day audience. Therefore, it is important you understand the
following:
TASK 5: READ THE BELOW QUOTES FROM BRECHT AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”
“Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.”
“Intelligence is not to make no mistakes, but quickly to see how to make them good.”
“Nowadays, anyone who wishes to combat lies and ignorance and to write the truth must overcome at least five difficulties. He must have the courage to write the truth when truth is everywhere opposed; the keenness to recognize it, although it is everywhere concealed; the skill to manipulate it as a weapon; the judgment to select those in whose hands it will
be effective; and the running to spread the truth among such persons.”
“The theatre-goer in conventional dramatic theatre says: Yes, I've felt that way, too. That's the way I am. That's life. That's the way it will always be. The suffering of this or that person grips me because there is no escape for him. That's great art - Everything is
self-evident. I am made to cry with those who cry and laugh with those who laugh. But the theatre-goer in the Epic Theatre says: I would never have thought that. You can't do that. That's very strange, practically unbelievable. That must stop. The suffering of this or that
person grips me because there is an escape for him. That's great art - nothing is self-evident. I am made to laugh about those who cry, and cry about those who laugh.”
“We need a type of theatre which not only releases the feelings, insights and impulses possible within the particular historical field of human relations in which the action takes place, but employs and encourages those thoughts and feelings which help transform the
field itself.”
“A man who strains himself on the stage is bound, if he is any good, to strain all the people sitting in the stalls.”
AFTER READING THESE QUOTES. WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS BRECHT’S PHILISOPHY AND
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PURPOSE IN TERMS OF CREATING THEATRE?
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KEY TERM: MARXISM = The political, economic and social theories of Karl Marx, including the belief that we should live in a class-less society in which we are all equal (equal wealth, status, land and food)
YOU HAVE JUST STUDIED THE PLAY ‘BLOOD BROTHERS’ BY WILLY RUSSELL. IN BLOOD BROTHERS RUSSELL MAKES A COMMENT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES IN SOCIAL CLASS. BRECHT BELIEVED IN MARXISM (WE ARE ALL EQUAL IN SOCIETY). IF BLOOD BROTHERS WERE WRITTEN FROM A MARXIST POINT OF VIEW HOW DIFFERENTLY DO YOU THINK THE STORY MIGHT HAVE TURNED OUT?
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TASK 6: WHY IS BRECHT STILL RELEVANT TODAY?
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Task 4: Watch and complete the questions surrounding this interview with Dr Laura
Bradley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-A8mCjRu5g
1. How long had Brecht lived away from his home country?……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. What type of society does Dr Laura tell us Brecht was trying to imagine? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Why did Brecht set the play in the Caucasus’? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. What does Dr Laura say is Brecht’s great contribution to political theatre? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Complete this sentence, ‘Brecht wanted his audience to be really …………………………….….. and ………………………… with what they were watching.’
6. What does it mean when we talk about Brecht’s removal of the fourth wall?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
7. Why did Brecht want to make simple things strange?
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8. Why is Brecht so relevant to audiences today?…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Why might Brecht be relevant to a young audience?…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
10.Complete this sentence, ‘Epic Theatre is the theatre that’s all about the …………………………. It’s all about empowering the………………………… to be………………………………. and to watch critically, rather than just leaning back in their seat and ………………………. consuming the whole performance.’
11. What does Dr Laura think Brecht challenges us to do? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
12. What is the purpose of the prologue?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
13. What does The Caucasian Chalk Circle have in common with other Brechtian plays?
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14. Why is Grusha such a powerful character?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
15. In what way is Grusha an anti-heroine?……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
16. What was Brecht suggesting was wrong with the justice system through the Caucasian Chalk Circle? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
17. Complete this sentence, ‘Brecht was, through this play, trying to challenge the audience not just to put up with the ……………………………………………. He was trying to challenge the audience to question things that they had always taken for………………………..…… in the world.’
18. What about the Scottish Referendum (2014) made Dr Laura think about Brecht? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
19. Why does Dr Laura think we are lucky as English speaking Brecht readers?
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20. Why were Brecht’s tours with the Berliner Ensemble so crucial in bringing his work to popularity? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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TASK 7: SETTING OF THE PLAY
READ AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW
We are now starting to get some insight into ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’, so now would be a good time to gain some key contextual background to the play.
Firstly, let’s discuss the title…
You may have heard the term ‘Caucasian’ to describe someone as ‘white-skinned; of European origin.’
This is a person from the Caucasus i.e. "the Caucasians of Southern Russia".
The Caucasus are where Brecht set ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’. Dr Laura mentions the reasons behind Brecht setting the play here.
Take a look at these images and remember the vast, treacherous yet majestic looking Mountains where Grusha completes her epic journey. You can have a look at further images by typing Caucasus into google. The landscape is absolutely stunning…I would love to travel there one day!
In ancient mythologies, the Caucasus Mountains represented the end of the world. For the Greeks, they were the pillars of the world. Prometheus, after bringing the gift of fire to humans, was punished by the gods: he was chained to the Caucasus Mountains and his liver was eaten daily by an eagle.
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So where is it on a map?....
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The Caucasus were a part of what we called the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union was a single-party Marxist–Leninist state. It existed for 69 years, from 1922 until 1991. It was the first country to declare itself socialist and build towards a communist society.
The Union was formed with the professed idea to give everyone equal social and economic rights. There was virtually no private property—everything belonged to the state. 'Soviets', or workers' councils, were created by the working class to lead the socialist state democratically. The Union was successful in winning World War II alongside the United States and United Kingdom.
Brecht wrote this play whilst he was in exile in America. He had to flee from Berlin as the Nazi’s would have killed him if he had stayed. They did not like the fact that he had political opinions that opposed their regime and wanted to silence him. With this in mind:
Why did Brecht choose to set the play in the Soviet Union?
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TASK 8: FURTHER CONTEXT
READ AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW
In The Caucasian Chalk Circle, a play within the play structure is used: in order to resolve the conflict of two groups of peasants who wish to farm a valley, a play is presented by singer, musicians and actors. The singer and musicians stand outside the drama and provide both narrative and commentary.
Brecht continued to develop his idea of Epic Theatre throughout his lifetime, finally establishing the style in the 1940’s and 1950’s through his last plays at the Berliner Ensemble. Perhaps the most significant aspect of Epic Theatre is the Verfremdungseffeckt or ‘distancing’ – more than anything else the ‘V’ effeckt defines Epic Theatre.
Brecht wanted his audience to remain intellectually and critically involved in the theatre. He rejected the notion of catharsis and the actor’s attempts to ‘become’ the character he was playing. Dramatic theatre was dismissed as ‘a theatre of illusion’ – sucking the spectator into a dream world where all the problems were carefully resolved at the end of the play. Rather than leave those problems at the theatre, Brecht felt the audience should be spurred on to instigate change, to leave the theatre debating and critically reflecting on what they had just seen. The ‘V’ effect allowed Brecht to expose his audience to the mechanics of the theatre, drawing their attention to the mechanism of acting.
Brecht's theory never arrived at a fixed and final view. His ideas changed, developed, mellowed - especially because of practice in real works on stage. Much of his theory was explanation after the writing of the plays - not the basis on which these were written.
As both a practising dramatist and visionary theorist, Brecht changed the face of modern theatre. In Britain, Brecht’s Berliner Ensemble’s visit in 1956 had a profound influence on the newly founded English Stage Company at the Royal Court, and the realisation of what a permanent company could achieve shaped the creation of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1960 and the National Theatre in 1963. Directors, designers and dramatists were all influenced by Brecht’s idea of an Epic Theatre and it left its stamp on a huge range of plays in the following centuries. Indeed, modern Drama owes much to Brecht. The strategies that he employed are the building blocks of Theatre as we know it.
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! KEY TERMS TO LEARN!
EPIC THEATRE = A range of theatrical devices or techniques used so that the audience were reminded throughout that they were watching theatre; a presentation of life, not real life itself.
VERFREMDUNGSEFFECKT = The act of distancing the audience from emotional involvement he called the verfremdungseffekt. It is often called ‘V’ effect (for short), the alienation effect or the distancing effect
Knowledge and Understanding Check Point
1. What are the three stages of Brecht’s work? ……………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………
2. Why did Brecht want his audience to remain critically and intellectually involved with the Theatre? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Which structure is used in ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’?…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. What was the popular genre of theatre that Brecht aimed to contradict? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. How did Brecht’s upbringing influence the type of theatre he wanted to create? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Now you have a secure understanding of Brecht’s theatre and the social, historical and political context of ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’, we can begin to explore the
play further.
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RESEARCH: What is a parable? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Find an example of a ‘well-known’ parable. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
RESEARCH: What is catharsis?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Caucasian Chalk Circle is one of the only Brechtian plays to create catharsis.
At the end of the play the child is given to Grusha ‘the rightful Mother’, reinforcing the Marxist message ‘What there is should go to those who are good for it’. The ‘good’ characters Grusha, Simon & Michael are allowed the opportunity of a happy ending. Why do you think Brecht chose to give the audience a cathartic ending, given the events in the world that had just happened? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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TASK 9:
PLEASE WATCH THE BELOW VIDEO LINKS SPECIFIC TO THE ‘CCC’ AND COMPLETE THE QUESTIONS
AN INSIGHT IN TO UNICORN THEATRE COMPANY’S PRODUCTION OF ‘THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoSEFUzhVTw
1. During which time is the play set? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Which four characters does the director, Amy Leach, mention in her initial summary of the play?
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3. “You have a strong sense that the child belongs to her”. Is said about which character? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. List three images that the director and designer focussed on when creating this adaption of the play.
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5. After hearing this interview, name 5 things that come to mind when you think about the character of Grusha. 1.2.3.4.5.
NOW WATCH A MONTAGE OF UNICORNS PRODUCTION IN PERFORMANCE TO VISUAL THEIR INTERPRETATION OF CCC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M14jcmTQGwk
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TASK 10: DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE ‘CCC’
BBC ‘THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE’ EXCERPT 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-2JU5ndF_Y
You will notice in this performance the rich, ruling class characters, The Governor, The Governor’s Wife and The Fat Prince are wearing Japanese Kabuki masks.
The term kabuki literally, means the art of song and dance, but performances extend well
beyond these two elements. Japanese kabuki is an outlandish visual spectacle which focuses
more on looks than story. Production elements like costumes, lighting, props, and set design
compliment performance aspects such as song and dance. All are presented in grandiose
fashion to create a single, spectacular show.
By placing these three characters only in kabuki masks what comment was Brecht trying to
make about them?
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TASK 11: DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE ‘CCC’
BBC ‘THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE’ EXCERPT 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6QlgwXiRZk
You will notice some very famous faces in this production of the Caucasian Chalk Circle. The actress playing Natella (in the kabuki mask) is played by Alison Steadman. You might
recognise her from:
Gavin and Stacey
Or Abigail’s Party by Mike Leigh.
However, the actor that I would like you to focus on is Ron Moody, who plays the role of Azdak. You might recognise him as:
Fagin from Oliver Twist
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Azdak is a complex and interesting character. Some feel as if Azdak is the closest representation to Brecht’s ‘voice’ in the play. He is an accidental judge, with a strong but
skewed moral compass.
1. What is your initial reaction to this character? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. If you were convicted of a crime would you feel happy if Azdak were judge? Explain why/ why not. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. How did the actor Ron Moody use his facial expressions to convey his interpretation of Azdak? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Were you in any way surprised at Azdak’s judgement? Why/ why not? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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NAME…………………………………………………………………………………..
TASK 12: WATCH A FULL VERSION OF THE PLAY
‘THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE’ BY RRHS THEATRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiQG9ONjmx4
Full versions of this play are very limited. This is very useful for you to watch to gain a solid overview of the play. Please watch and complete the initial character response table below.
CHARACTER INITIAL RESPONSE
THE SINGER
THE GOVERNOR (Georgi Abasvili)
THE GOVERNOR’S WIFE (Natella Abashvili)
THE FAT PRINCE (Prince Kazbeki)
MICHAEL
GRUSHA
SIMON
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NAME…………………………………………………………………………………..
LAVRENTI (Grusha’s Brother)
AZDAK
TASK 13: EXAMPLE CREATIVE OVERVIEW
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NAME…………………………………………………………………………………..
You will be asked to write a creative overview in your exam. This will demonstrate to the examiner how much you know about the context of the play. Please read my example and
have a go at writing your own creative overview.
Context of the play: ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ is a parable play that Brecht wrote in the aftermath of World War Two to illustrate the Marxist principle that ‘what there is should go to those who are good for it’. This principle was significant in post-war Europe where the consequences of Hitler’s encroachment on both Western and Eastern Europe were being addressed by the victorious allies.
Brecht’s aims for the play: Brecht’s play is a political one that exposes the conflict between rich and poor and reveals how war is simply another means of making money for the rich. The underlying tension between the ‘haves and the have-nots’ – the nobility and the peasants, offers excellent opportunities to reflect this opposition within the piece.
Context of the play:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….......................................................................................................................
Brecht’s aims for the play:
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TASK 14: A SUMMARY OF THE PLAY
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NAME…………………………………………………………………………………..
This will be useful for you to read/make revision notes on to gain a clear overview of the play.
THE PROLOGUE
It is 1944 in a valley in the Caucasus, the Nazis have been defeated but the fighting has been long and hard and much of the village and dairy buildings have been destroyed. Two soviet farm collectives meet to debate what should be done with the valley and village. The first kolchos (collective) are fruit farmers who have been fighting the Germans in the area, defending the land. They have seen the potential in the valley for planting and growing food and have an expert with them who has plans to irrigate the land, which will substantially increase the crop yield. The other kolchos are goat farmers who have lived in the valley for many generations; they kept goats and made cheese, but moved out with their goats when the fighting got too close. An expert from the Reconstruction Commission is there to help them make the best decision about what should happen to the land. After much debate it is agreed that the fruit farmers should take control of the land, as their plans would benefit most. Both kolchos sit down to a meal together. A famous singer (storyteller) and some musicians are invited to tell a story by a member of the fruit farming kolchos: ‘We plan to show a play that has some connection with our problem.
THE NOBLE CHILD
The story they tell takes place a long time ago in the small Georgian town of Nukha. The Governor of the town, Georgi Abashvili, and his wife, Natella, present their baby son and heir, Michael, to the crowd of beggars and petitioners outside their palace. The Grand Duke of Georgia is away leading a disastrous war in Persia. While he is gone a group of princes plan to take advantage of the Duke’s absence and seize power. In Nukha, the Fat Prince orders his soldiers to capture the governor Georgi Abashvili and behead him. In the panic that follows, the governor’s wife, Natella, hurriedly packs her things to make her escape. She orders one of her servants to pick up the baby, Michael, and bring him too, but the servant isn’t there to hear the command and the baby is left behind. At the same time a servant girl, Grusha, and soldier, Simon, hurriedly get engaged, they know in the chaos of civil war it may be some time before they see each other again, so they say their goodbyes. Grusha prepares to leave the Palace, but spots baby Michael lying amongst the abandoned clothes. Other servants urge her to leave him; whoever is found with Michael will risk their own life. She sits by the baby waiting for someone to return for him, but by morning, when no one has, she picks up the baby and runs from the palace.
THE FLIGHT TO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS
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Grusha is in danger; the Fat Prince has ordered his soldiers, the Ironshirts, to find the baby and has offered a large reward. Grusha heads for the mountains to find safety with her brother Lavrenti. On her journey she faces a number of challenges; she is overcharged by a peasant when she needs milk for Michael. She tries to pretend she is a wealthy woman to join a coach of ladies but they see her hands are not the hands of a lady and scream ‘murder’. She tries to leave the baby by the house of a kind looking old couple, but when she sees the Ironshirts go into their cottage she hits one of them over the head with a shovel, grabs Michael and makes her escape. Finally she reaches a bridge across a steep glacier. The bridge is rotten and full of holes but when she sees the Ironshirts behind her, she steps onto the bridge with Michael and finally makes it safely to the other side.
IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS
Grusha does not get the welcome she is hoping for from her brother. He has married and his wife (who is very religious) is horrified that she has a single mother in the house. Grusha is allowed to stay, but only in the cold kitchen out of sight and only until the snow melts and she can move on. When spring comes, her brother Lavrenti arranges for her to marry a man who is on his death bed in order to make her respectable; when he dies she will become a widow. Grusha agrees but a soon as the wedding is over, the end of the war is announced and her new husband makes a miraculous recovery; he had been pretending to be dying to avoid conscription. Grusha is trapped in a marriage she did not want. One day Grusha and Michael are by the stream and Grusha sees Simon on the other side. Simon is devastated when he overhears Grusha say that Michael is hers when asked by a group of soldiers. The soldiers have been sent by Natella. Now that the war is over and the Grand Duke has regained control she wants to find her son and claim his inheritance back from the rebellious princes.
THE STORY OF THE JUDGE
The story of the judge takes us back in time, to the time of the coup, to the night that the Fat Prince captured and beheaded the Governor. While the coup has been taking place Azdak, the town clerk, is poaching in the woods and comes across a man hiding who he thinks is a refugee. He takes him home and feeds him. But Azdak becomes suspicious that he is not the poor beggar that he first thought and asks to see the man’s hands, he realises they are the hands of a rich man. The man says he can pay Azdak handsomely, but he hasn’t any money with him now. Azdak is about to throw him out when a policeman knocks on his door and wants to arrest Azdak for poaching. Azdak thinks about handing the man over to the policeman, but changes his mind and tells the policeman to go. The next day Azdak realises it was the Grand Duke he had been hiding and that the Prince’s soldiers are still looking for the Duke. He goes to find the soldiers to hand himself in. He demands that the soldiers call the Judge and that he is put on trial for harbouring the Grand Duke. But the soldiers point out the Judge, who is on the scaffold who was hanged the day before. The Fat
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Prince wants his nephew to be appointed the new Judge but makes a pretence of allowing ‘the people’ to decide, he hopes this will keep the soldiers on side. The soldiers choose Azdak for Judge and not the Prince’s nephew and place the Judge’s robes around his shoulders. We then witness a series of Azdak’s cases and the judgements he makes. He openly invites bribes from those who are brought before him and makes unpredictable, unconventional and, at times, amoral judgements.
THE CHALK CIRCLE
Finally, Natella, Grusha and Michael are brought before Azdak for judgement. Azdak continues to behave erratically as a judge, showing respect for neither Grusha or Natella. Azdak declares he will use the test of The Chalk Circle to decide who is the real mother. A chalk circle is drawn on the ground and the child is placed in the centre. Azdak instructs Natella and Grusha to each take an arm and whoever pulls Michael out of the circle will be declared the mother. When Natella starts to pull Grusha lets go of Michael. Azdak instructs them to do the test again, but again Grusha lets go rather than hurt the child. Azdak declares Grusha to be the real mother. He then grants Grusha and her husband a divorce and Grusha and Simon are reunited.
Knowledge and Understanding Check Point
1. In which ‘episode’ does Grusha meet her Brother?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. In which ‘episode’ does Azdak first appear?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. When does Grusha cross the bridge?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. When does Natella leave Michael behind?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Which episode is considered a ‘flashback’?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….FINAL TASK: CREATE YOUR OWN REVISION CARDS USING THE INFORMATION IN THIS BOOKLET. WHEN WE RETURN TO SCHOOL YOU WILL HAVE A VARIETY OF QUIZZES AND TESTS ON ALL THIS
INFORMATION AS YOU WILL NEED TO USE IT IN ALL YOUR SECTION A EXAM RESPONSES.
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