The Caucasian Chalk Circle

Set against the backdrop of post-World War II Soviet Georgia, Bertolt Brecht's "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" masterfully reinterprets an ancient Chinese fable to explore profound questions of justice, ownership, and true parenthood. The play unfolds through two interwoven narratives: the harrowing journey of Grusha, a humble kitchen maid who risks everything to rescue and raise an abandoned child of the executed governor, and the rise of Azdak, an unlikely and unconventional judge whose unorthodox methods frequently subvert the established legal system to deliver a form of 'natural justice'. When the war ends and the child's biological mother, Natella Abashwili, returns to reclaim her son and his inheritance, the case falls to Azdak. Echoing the Judgment of Solomon, Azdak devises a chalk circle test to determine the child's rightful guardian, challenging the very notion of who deserves what, and ultimately affirming that true parental love often transcends biological ties and legal formalism. It's a powerful exposition of Brecht's epic theatre, dissecting societal structures and human morality.