Der kaukasische Kreidekreis

Der kaukasische Kreidekreis ("The Caucasian Chalk Circle" [1]) is a play by German playwright Bertolt Brecht. It is a parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a better mother than its wealthy natural parents.

The play was written in Santa Monica in 1944/45, while Brecht was living in the USA, 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.

The original text

The play is a reworking of Brecht's earlier short story, Der Augsburger Kreidekreis [2]. Both the story and the play are based on the 14th-century Chinese play Circle of Chalk [3] by Li Xingdao.

Translations and adaptations

Translated from the German into English under the title The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Eric Bentley in c.1948.

Translated from the German into Afrikaans under the title Die Kaukasiese Krytsirkel by Johann van Heerden in 1973.

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 H.B. 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 H.B. Thom Theatre.

Performance history in South Africa

Produced by Fred Engelen as Guest Producer for the Little Theatre in 1959 with a large cast including Louw Verwey and Percy Sieff. Settings devised by Walter Tillemans in Antwerp and executed under the direction of Cecil Pym. Costumes designed by Shirley Duff Gray and executed under the direction of Helen Rooza. Lighting by Cliff Taylor. Music composed by Myron Fink, played under the direction of Erik Chisholm and recorded by Gregorio Fiasconaro.

PACT, directed by Victor Melleney, 1965.

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, assisted by Damon Galgut, sets by Kevin Yates, costumes by Jeff Smith at the Little Theatre opening 3 September 1986 starring Owen Sejake as Azdak, Megan Choritz, David Tomsu, Isadora Verwey, Raymond Suttle, Warrick Grier and others.

Presented by the Market Theatre, directed by Gerrit Schoonhoven at the National Arts Festival, 1991 starring Duncan Johnson, Lucinda Sampson, Irene Stephanou, Melinda Ferguson, Thalane Gxubane, Warrick Grier, Michael Maxwell, André J. van der Merwe, and Michele Burgers.