February 18–March 14, 2010
Visionary director John Doyle (Sweeney Todd, Company on Broadway) returns to A.C.T. to stage a spectacular new interpretation of Brecht's masterpiece of hope, humanity, and justice. Featuring Doyle's signature theatricality and original music from acclaimed avant-garde composer Nathaniel Stookey (The Composer Is Dead, Junkestra), this must-see production finds an intrepid company of actors creating the play from the rubble of a war-torn society. Objects turn into set pieces, discarded articles of clothing become costumes, and shrapnel is transformed into musical instruments. In this brand-new translation, The Caucasian Chalk Circle soars with humor, romance, unexpected plot twists, and high-stakes intensity.
Running time: 2 hours, including one 15-minute intermission.
"A must-see . . . this is classic theater at its new and improved best." —KGO Radio
"Inventive, emotional . . . I can't recall when I've found a music drama this eclectically satisfying . . . Doyle brings enormous inventiveness to an undertaking that few regional theaters in America would have the intellectual passion, never mind the guts, to pull off. . . . At a time when nonprofit theaters have become averse to risk-taking, A.C.T. should be congratulated for this daring production."
—Los Angeles Times
"A terrifically entertaining ride and packs a solid, Brechtian gut punch . . . this is a production Brecht would no doubt have loved." —San Francisco Examiner
"First-rate . . . a bounty of satire, drama, and poignance . . . Domenique Lozano's new A.C.T.–commissioned translation is vivid enough to merit a long life of its own." —Variety
"Entertaining . . . great dramatic flourishes and a dynamic, found-instrument score"
—San Francisco Chronicle
"A deliciously black portrait . . . bold . . . keenly intelligent"
—San Jose Mercury News
"John Doyle is ferociously inventive." —The New York Times
"Gleefully irreverent and bracingly modern" —The Times (London)
Don't just sit there . . . InterACT!
Prologue*
February 23, 5:30 p.m.
Get inside the artistic process—come early for a preperformance discussion with the director and a member of the A.C.T. artistic staff.
Audience Exchanges*
March 2, 7 p.m.
March 7, 2 p.m.
March 10, 2 p.m.
After the show, stick around for a lively Q&A session with the actors, moderated by a member of the A.C.T. artistic staff.
OUT with A.C.T.
March 3, 8 p.m.
LGBT night at A.C.T. features a catered afterparty and a cast meet and greet. Visit www.act-sf.org/out for more information about how to subscribe to OUT nights.
Bike to the Theater Night
March 4, 8 p.m.
Ride your bike to the American Conservatory Theater and let the San Francisco Bike Coalition park your bike for free!
*Discussions are free for ticket holders of any performance of The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Please note that performance times vary.
Insight into the Play, the Playwright, and the Production
Each entertaining and informative issue of Words on Plays, A.C.T.'s in-depth performance guide series, contains a synopsis, advance program notes, study questions, and additional background information about the historical and cultural context of the play.
Words on Plays is available for purchase in the lobby of the theater during performances or online ($12 each + postage and handling). To subscribe to the full season ($70), call 415.749.2250.
Words on Plays Prepared by
Elizabeth Brodersen, Publications Editor
Dan Rubin, Publications & Literary Associate
Michael Paller, Resident Dramaturg
Katie May, Publications Intern
Ellen Cassidy, Dramaturgy Intern
Table of Contents
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On the A.C.T. Blog
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Chalk Circle Experience
posted by Nick Childress, cast member of The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Thursday, January 28, 2010
On Translating Brecht
posted by Domenique Lozano, A.C.T. Associate Artist and translator of The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Monday, June 29, 2009
The beginning chord of a 'Circle'
posted by Anthony Fusco, A.C.T. Core Acting Company member
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Mastering Uncertainty
posted by Carey Perloff, A.C.T. Artistic Director
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