The Caucasian Chalk Circle - Bertolt Brecht Ayla Schafer

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St Christopher School Studio

6th March 2003

The Caucasian Chalk Circle – Bertolt Brecht                                                     Ayla Schafer

The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a deliberate comment on society based on choice, rights and Justice. It deals with themes of ownership, belonging, love, responsibility, injustice and war, engaging the audience with new ideas and controversial thoughts. It centres on two women’s claim over a child, which, it seems, can only be resolved by using the chalk circle test. Above all it satirises the judiciary, mocks religious life and forces the onlookers to pick sides.

This production was performed in a fairly small square studio space where three sides of unfixed seating had been placed close to a small ‘stage’ area in the centre. The seats were just a foot away from the small ‘stage which was almost uncomfortably close, but gave a strange feeling of being part of the play rather then an observer of it.

The only thing separating the seats/audience from the ‘stage’ was a white, taped line going around the edge, marking off a small area of grey floor about 6 metres wide and long and centre stage was a fairly large white, taped out circle, the chalk circle.

Up-stage there was an off white panel (as wide as the stage and about 2 ½ metres tall) which acted as the back wall/cyclorama. It had large, bold black and red writing printed on it, saying ‘ The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ and another long sentence that set the background of the play. Throughout the play small sections of this large panel were taken off, twisted round for doorways, changed position etc.

The Watford Palace Theatre successfully performed a fast moving, imaginative production in the simple form of a satirical comedy. They kept it demanding to a modern audience with unique and interesting use of stage, voice and song, quick character changes between the small five-man cast but the most impressive thing was the almost one-to-one interaction that the actors had with the audience. By using regular eye contact and physical contact the audience was made to feel part of the story and felt real connections with the characters portrayed.

The actors really used the audience to their complete advantage, to help create their characters. By talking and communicating to the audience, and treating them as their character would treat other people, it gave a broader image of the characters as well as giving the audience a deep insight into the play. The characters came across as representing a type of person more than an individual, which is what Brecht aimed to happen.

The actors constantly involved the audience by directly speaking close up to them as if the line was meant for only them, the strong and constant eye contact was extremely powerful and the casual exchange of props between the two, all gave a very intimate relationship. The characters reactions and communications with others on stage were shown very deliberately with the audience, which again created an understanding of the categorized characters.

        Andrew Emerson played a variety of parts, the two most significant being Georgi Abashvili and Azdac, which he portrayed as very opposite contradictory characters.

When playing Georgi Abashvili Andrew Emerson immediately gave him an air or superiority and composure. He held his body very upright and rigid, with his shoulders forced back and his head lifted up, so he looked down his nose in a demeaning way. He held his arms unnaturally by his side, lifted slightly away from his body, so they looked as if they were frozen like that, like he was a puppet. When he moved he seemed to glide along with a very mechanically woodenness moving no other part of his body but his legs.

This was another thing that made him seem so superior, the fact that he would pose in some elaborate stance, with his head pointed up and arms poised and he’d stay frozen like that until it was necessary to move again. He nearly only moved when needed to, and after that he would freeze again in a pose. This continuous pose then glide then pose the glide etc. really showed the tiresome pointless act that royalty like him always put on and how their whole life is really a show for others.

He spoke with a very posh, haughty voice, over pronouncing and dragging on all his words and at the breaking point of his voice so it was very high and strained but in a puffed up way.

Andrew Emerson wore a dreadful half mask so only the bottom part of his face was visible and he realised that especially exaggerated mouth expressions were needed, so he tightly pouted his mouth and when speaking moved it much more then needed. The mask added to Georgi Abashvili’s spiteful character and made him appear very unpleasant.

Andrew Emerson’s other character was Azdac who was very different to Georgi Abashvili. He was a lot more energetic and animated, and the most noticeable characteristic that he gave Azdac was the ability to almost never stay still. He would always be moving some part of his body, whether it would be a simple tapping of a finger or manic running around. He appeared very agitated and frenzied but in a friendly enthusiastic way, and his largely oversized actions clearly showed this. When speaking his hands would wave around wildly in the air, with his whole body tensed up and suspended, and knees bent as if ready for an explosion of reaction to something. His walk had a strong bounce in it and his feet always seemed to move quicker or more often then needed to, all these created a frenzy of attention capturing actions.

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Andrew Emerson made Azdac enormously comedic and amusing, because of the cartoonist larger than life, unrealistic physical and vocal actions. He really used the whole range of his voice, sometimes talking in a low rumble than suddenly rising to a high pitched screech but never speaking in a neutral or monotone voice. It was also similar with his facial expressions, they were massively exaggerated and every single muscle in his faced was used to do this. For example when excited his eyebrows would raise to the top of his forehead, his eyes opened so wide they looked like large white ...

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