The Caucasian Chalk Circle
by Bertolt Brecht. The original German title is Der Kaukasische Kreidekreis, and it is a reworking of Brecht's earlier short story, Der Augsburger Kreidekreis. Both the story and the play are based on the 14th-century Chinese play Circle of Chalk by Li Xingdao.
A parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a better mother than its wealthy natural parents.
Written in Santa Monica (USA) in 1944/45, translated into English by Eric Bentley and had its world première at Carleton College, Minnesota, in 1948. The first professional production was at the Hedgerow Theatre, Philadelphia, directed by Bentley and the German première was in 1954 at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, Berlin.
Performance history in South Africa
One of the first productions of the Serpent Players (1964?), directed by Athol Fugard and featuring Nomhle Nkonyeni as Aniko. ****
Produced and directed by Fred Engelen with students of the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department in the late 1960s.
Directed by David Haynes in the Little Theatre, Cape Town, with Owen Sejake as Azdak, September 1986.
Presented by the Market Theatre, directed by Gerrit Schoonhoven at the National Arts Festival, 1991.
Translations and adaptations
An Afrikaans translation by Johann van Heerden from the original German, entitled Die Kaukasiese Krytsirkel, premièred in a production by the Universiteitsteater Stellenbosch in the HB Thom Theatre at the Drama Department at Stellenbosch University in August 1973, directed by Van Heerden, with Herman Pretorius, Deon Bosman, Jannie Botes, Tessa Cowan, Amanda Hubach, Antoinette Kellermann, Elsabé Kok, Lize Treurnicht, Estelle Venter, Leon van Nierop, Johan Burger, Awie de Swardt, Jakkie Groenewald, Karen Kranz, Colleen Hauptfleisch, Rina Nienaber, Frans Palm. Chris Truter, M.C. Basson (Marthinus Basson), Lochner de Kock, Keith Dietrich, Serfie Potgieter and Albert van Tonder.
In September 1992 Herman Pretorius directed Johann van Heerden's translation for Universiteitsteater Stellenbosch in the HB Thom Theatre.
Sources
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_kaukasische_Kreidekreis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Caucasian_Chalk_Circle
UTS theatre programme, August 1973 (Die Kaukasiese Krysirkel).
UTS theatre programme, September 1992 (Die Kaukasiese Krysirkel).
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