The stories of King Solomon’s wisdom are notable. With “The Caucasian Chalk Circle,” Nacogdoches High School’s One-Act Play will tell one of those tales from a more recent perspective.
NHS performs “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” at the district competition Friday and Saturday. On Monday and Tuesday, March 20-21, the students will put on the play for the home folks at the NHS Auditorium.
Performances on both nights are at 7 p.m., and the house opens at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.
In 2022, NHS swept the acting awards in the district competition, advancing to a bi-district berth.
This year’s performance is complicated to prepare, NHS theatre director Victoria Perry said. The story based on Solomon’s actions taken from the Old Testament to determine the true mother of a baby is performed in something called “epic theatre.”
“Epic Theatre is about the moral of the story, which is very often based on a parable,” said Perry. “The actors do not hide that this is a play, and often talk to the audience. We want to remind you that you are watching a play, so that you can think about the story, as well as feel it.”
“The Caucasian Chalk Circle” was written during the 1940s in Chicago by German-born playwright Bertolt Brecht, who fled his country after the Nazis took over.
Students were challenged by the work, said Perry.
“I picked this specific play because I've always wanted to direct it, and this particular group of students wanted a challenge,” she said.
“A challenge I faced is playing multiple characters and coming up with original personalities to make each of them different,” said junior Mars McIntosh.
What can the audience expect? “I would describe this show as a modernized grunge retelling of the parable of Solomon,” said sophomore Link Hall. “They can expect heartfelt relationships and original music.”
The teamwork and cooperation on stage is vital to the success of the production, sophomore Jacob Norman said. “The biggest achievement of the show is everyone collaborating together and being onstage nonstop without a problem.”
Cast includes: Singer: Riley Hall; Natella, Tribe: Kyler Bowman; Simon: Jacob Norman; Grusha: Brianna Hightower; Georgi, Tribe:Peasant Woman, Michael Puppeteer, Tribe: Ren Cates; Prince Kezbeki, Mother in Law, Tribe: Freja Lorensen; 1st Lawyer, Triber: Rees Runnels’ and Corporal, Lavrenti, Azdak, Tribe: Mars McIntosh
Crew: Stage Manager: Nico Gotcher; Assistant Stage Manager, Backstage Lights: Charlotte Bradford; Lights: Samantha Billig; Sound: William Vermeulen; and Backstage: Maite Cano.
Director: Victoria Perry; Tech Director: Amanda Abbott; and Assistant Director: Megan Jenkins.