The 51st Theatre MSU season is closing the semester with “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” in McComas Hall at 7:30 p.m. through Saturday.
“The Caucasian Chalk Circle,” written by Bertolt Brecht, depicts two Soviet Union groups in dispute over land left abandoned after World War II. The play disguises this land dispute as two women fighting for a child (one of the women being the child’s biological mother) that is abandoned by its biological mother and is nurtured and raised by the other.
In the end, the mother who demonstrated more love for the child won custody.
Directed by John Nara, the play’s political undertone makes for an exciting play from Theatre MSU.
Emily Holland, freshman English secondary major, said she is interested in seeing how the performance is going to play out being a portion of the audience will have the pleasure of being onstage with the cast.
“I really like the concept of the audience encircling the plot while also being a part of the plot,” Holland said. “The play’s concept of motherhood not having to be biological is also interesting.”
Brittany Govan, senior aerospace engineering major, said she appreciates the story’s political undertone, and offered options for ways the play can reach a larger audience to push the political cause.
“It’s amazing that the play incorporates members of the audience into the story, but it would take the message so much further if the members of the audience were randomly chosen,” Govan said. “A spontaneous performance on the Drill field of The Caucasian Chalk Circle would be a sight to see.”
Efrem Egede, junior petroleum engineering major, said he can relate The Caucasian Chalk Circle to a biblical story.
“When I heard about the play, the first thing that came to mind was ‘The Judgment of Solomon,’” Egede said.
“The Judgment of Solomon” takes place in the book of Solomon in the bible. In this story, you have two mothers fighting for a child that was stolen from the biological mother and custody was awarded by King Solomon.
Tickets for The Caucasian Chalk Circle can be purchased online at www.comm.msstate.edu/theatre/ for $10.
