The Caucasian Chalk Circle

By Bertolt Brecht. Directed by Orlando Pabotoy

Thursday - Saturday, Oct 10 - 12 @ 8pm

The Black Box

Past Event

One of Bertolt Brecht’s most famous epic plays.

The NYU Abu Dhabi Theater Program’s ninth fall production, directed by NYU-NY Affiliate Faculty Orlando Pabotoy and performed by students from across the university.

Set in a dispute over land claimed by two communes in the Soviet Union after World War II, The Caucasian Chalk Circle was written by the 20th century German playwright, director, and theorist, Bertolt Brecht.

The story centers around two women’s struggle over the custody of a child. The dispute between the governor’s wife, who abandoned the child during the insurrection, and the young servant who saved the child and cared for him, is settled by an eccentric judge who places the child in a chalk circle and declares that whichever woman can pull him from the circle will be granted custody.

Watch the trailer

The work is based on the German writer Klabund’s play Der Kreidekreis (1924), itself a translation and adaptation of a Chinese play from the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368), and uses many hallmarks of Brecht’s iconic theatrical style, including puppetry and song.

Biography – Orlando Pabotoy

Recent works: 2018-2019

Directing: World Premiere of the first english translation of The Buffoons, by Margherita Costa. Playwright and Performer for Sesar for Ma-Yi Theater Company. Performer for The Public Theater’s Maria Irene Fornes’ Festival. Director of Movement for the NAATCO Production of_ Henry Vi part 1,2,3_. Acting Companies production of Julius Caesar and X. Marisol at Trinity Repertory.

Past Work: (Selected)

Choreographed for The CSC production of The Cherry Orchard (with John Turturro and Diane Wiest; Directed his own Adaptation of_ Il Mondo della Luna_ for The Juilliard School’s Main stage,); Created and Directed That Beautiful Laugh for Lamama’s 50th Year Anniversary. Performed as Florindo The Servant of Two Masters (TFANA) and for The Moving Companies World Premiere of_ Refugia_ (The Guthrie Theater). Collaborated with Geoff Soebelle on Home, The Object Lesson and with Lars Jan on The Holoscenes Project.

Other credits include: Former Artistic Director of The Artigiani Theater Company. Co-Founded The Clown School (L.A’s premiere clown and Physical Comedy School). Directing The Frogs, Pericles for the Juilliard Drama Division. Mr. Pabotoys revival of Creation, which opened Off-Broadway in New York City (August 2006), was met with critical acclaim, and he also directed a revival of Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me for the Sounding Theater Company. Mr. Pabotoy has taught for the Juilliard School, the Graduate Programs in University of Texas in Austin, Bard College, The Old Globe, UCSD, Cal Arts, CSULB, and at the Actors Center in New York. He has served as faculty for the Public Theater’s Summer Lab (New York).

He teaches Internationally during the summer in the Netherlands and Italy. Mr. Pabotoy has performed at The Kirk Douglas Theater (LA), The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park in NYC, New York Theater Workshop, The Metropolitan Opera House (at Lincoln Center), The Old Globe, Yale Repertory Company; with Ma-Yi Theater Company, The Guthrie Theater, Theater For A New Audience, IMUA Theater Company, Lake Lucille, The Flying Machine Company; and in numerous productions for the Division 13 Theater Company.
His Television/Film credits include (Comedy Central), (CBS), (WB) and (NBC).

AWARDS/CITATIONS

Recipient of the 1997 John Houseman Award.

1998 and 2013 Fox Fellowship

2003 OBIE Award

Professional Affiliation: AEA, SAG/AFTRA, (SDC) Society of Directors and Choreographers