The Caucasian Chalk Circle

E157155

The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a 1944 play by Bertolt Brecht that reimagines a Chinese parable in a war-torn Caucasian setting to explore themes of justice, motherhood, and the rightful ownership of land and children.

All labels observed (8)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf epic theatre work ⓘ
play ⓘ
author Bertolt Brecht ⓘ
basedOn Chinese parable ⓘ
The Chalk Circle by Li Xingdao ⓘ
containsCharacter The Singer ⓘ
countryOfOrigin Germany ⓘ
dramaticForm Brechtian theatre ⓘ
dramaticTechnique Verfremdungseffekt ⓘ
narrator figure ⓘ
songs and commentary ⓘ
firstMajorProductionCompany Berliner Ensemble ⓘ
firstProductionLanguage German ⓘ
genre didactic play ⓘ
epic theatre ⓘ
political drama ⓘ
hasAdaptation radio play adaptations ⓘ
stage productions worldwide ⓘ
television adaptations ⓘ
inspiredBy King Solomon and the baby judgment motif ⓘ
languageFeature use of songs to comment on action ⓘ
literaryPeriod 20th-century drama ⓘ
mainCharacter Azdak ⓘ
Grusha Vashnadze ⓘ
Michael ⓘ
Natella Abashwili ⓘ
narrativeDevice prologue in a Soviet collective farm ⓘ
notableElement Soviet collective farm framing story ⓘ
chalk circle trial scene ⓘ
originalLanguage German ⓘ
period World War II era ⓘ
philosophicalBasis Brecht's theory of epic theatre ⓘ
dialectical materialism ⓘ
plotElement abandoned governor's child is adopted by servant girl ⓘ
dispute over the child is resolved by chalk circle test ⓘ
politicalContext Marxist interpretation of property and justice ⓘ
setting Caucasus region ⓘ
war-torn Caucasian village ⓘ
structure play within a play ⓘ
theme class struggle ⓘ
justice ⓘ
legal versus moral right ⓘ
motherhood ⓘ
rightful ownership of children ⓘ
rightful ownership of land ⓘ
social responsibility ⓘ
war and its consequences ⓘ
yearWritten 1944 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (14)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Bertolt Brecht → notableWork → The Caucasian Chalk Circle ⓘ
Alison Steadman → notableWork → The Caucasian Chalk Circle (stage) ⓘ
linked to: The Caucasian Chalk Circle
epic theatre → hasKeyWork → The Caucasian Chalk Circle ⓘ
Berliner Ensemble → notableWork → The Caucasian Chalk Circle (productions) ⓘ
linked to: The Caucasian Chalk Circle
The Caucasian Chalk Circle → basedOn → The Chalk Circle by Li Xingdao ⓘ
linked to: The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Therese Giehse → performedIn → "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" ⓘ
linked to: The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Justin Townsend → hasWorkedOn → The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Off-Broadway) ⓘ
linked to: The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Russell Dykstra → notableWork → The Caucasian Chalk Circle ⓘ
Grusha Vashnadze → appearsIn → The Caucasian Chalk Circle ⓘ
Grusha Vashnadze → appearsInAct → “The Story of Grusha” section of The Caucasian Chalk Circle ⓘ
linked to: The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Azdak → appearsIn → The Caucasian Chalk Circle ⓘ
Azdak → firstAppearance → The Caucasian Chalk Circle (1940s) ⓘ
linked to: The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Natella Abashwili → appearsIn → The Caucasian Chalk Circle ⓘ
Natella Abashwili → firstAppearance → The Caucasian Chalk Circle ⓘ