Space for The Caucasian Chalk Circle

A good theatrical space should be such that it helps the audience to follow the play better and makes the concept of the play clearer. It is something that adds to the effectiveness of a performance. We chose the space surrounded by three buildings near the sundial as an appropriate space for The Caucasian Chalk Circle because it was outdoor and the scenes we chose all happened outdoors. Also, most of the scenes in the play happen outdoors or can be done outside the buildings or on the porch.

First of all, the ground surrounded by three buildings: Smith Memorial, Wright Hall and West Hall, was decided to be the place where the audience would sit on the floor on blankets. That same space, where the audience will be sitting would represent the valley over which there is a dispute among two groups of peasants. So, during prologue, the actors will be addressing towards the audience and make it clear that the space is the valley that the actors talk about in the play. This and the fact that the space is intimate will probably make the audience feel more involved in the play.

The next scene we talked about is when Grusha talks to Simon across a river. The brick pathway can be manipulated by putting a blue cloth to make it look like a river.

The next scene is when Grusha hides the child from the Prince. We chose West Hall as the place where Grusha leaves the child because it looks very homely, and there are chairs where she could hide the child. Smith Hall, which looks official could serve as a church in the play.

Then Grusha flees. We thought it would be a good idea to make Grusha go a full round from the Smith Hall back to the West Hall to show that she’s going somewhere far, out of the scene.
Lastly, we chose the star (labeled with white circle in the pictures) in the middle of the walkway as the place where the Caucasian Chalk Circle would take place. This would be very close to where the audience is sitting and the audience’s attention would be on the play. The area, being in the middle of everything, would represent a community space in the play and would act like a centre where people would gather from other places like the church, house and from the side of the river.

As it is an outdoor space, we don’t need additional lights if the play is done during the day. However, factors like rain and the direction of the sun should be considered when choosing an appropriate time to do the play.