the caucasian chalk circle
(der kaukasische kreidekreis)
by bertolt brecht. // translated by alistair beaton. // directed by ted witzel. // premiered in october 2016 at the erindale studio theatre in mississauga.
another revolution in the caucasus mountains. beheadings, bloodshed, and a civil war raging through the countryside. in the midst of the turmoil an abandoned royal baby finds an unlikely and reluctant foster mother, and the two embark on an epic journey to save the child. when peace is restored, the baby is discovered, and a judge must decide who is the child’s true mother. brecht’s playful and ironic storytelling is at its height in this dramatic parable about family, class, and justice in a society trying to rebuild itself as endless waves of civil unrest break across it.
“when the houses of the mighty fall they fall on the heads of ordinary men.”
directing & set design by ted witzel. costume design by michelle vanderheyden. music created by paolo santalucia & the ensemble. lighting design by jim smagata. sound design by joseph taylor. stage management by barb macclean. technical direction by jim smagata. assistant directed by paolo santalucia. performed by the fourth-year acting ensemble of the university of toronto at mississauga..