Caucasian Chalk Circle Script Analysis

Prologue

• The fruit-growing kolkhoz and the Goat kolkhoz dispute on who should take the valley

  • the goat people were displaced by Nazis but wanna come back

• The fruit growing Kolkhoz show their plans to irrigate, grow more fruit, and plant vineyards

• Everyone agrees that the valley should go to the farmers who will use it better

• The singer arrives and says he will perform a version of a Chinese legend called the Chalk Circle

Scene One: The Noble Child

• The Governor and his wife ignore the citizens otw to Easter Mass

• The Fat Prince sucks up to the pair and everyone leaves the peasants behind

• Grusha enters with a goose and meets Simon, who has watched her bathe in the rivers, and she’s PISSED

• The Fat Prince stages a coup and the Governor is beheaded

• Simon proposes to Grusha and gives her his silver cross

• The Governor’s wife dont gaf about her hubby and is busy packing clothes

• Grusha is left with Michael and takes him to the mountains

Scene Two: Flight into the Northern Mountains

• Grusha has to get expensive milk from an old man

• The Ironshirts follow

• Grusha abandons Michael on a doorstep and a peasant woman adopts him

• She goes back and tells the woman to remove the linen and claim that the child is hers

• The peasant woman IMMEDIATELY fesses up to the Ironshirts

• Grusha knocks the Corporal over the head with a log and takes Michael

• Grusha finds a rotten bridge and runs across anyway with Michael

Scene Three: In the Northern Mountains

• Grusha travels for 7 days to her brother’s

• Her brother and his wife question why she’s here but he allows them to stay

• After 6 months, he tells Grusha he will marry someone who’s about to die

• They hear that Grand Duke is restored to power and soldiers will return, and Grusha realizes Simon will be back

• Yussup is actually alive and for months he taunts her

• Grusha meets Simon at the river and tells him about her marriage and the child

• Simon tells Grusha to throw the cross he gave her into the stream

• Ironshirts have seized Michael and Grusha has to go to trial

Scene Four: The Story of the Judge

• Years ago, Adzak realized he was sheltering the Grand Duke

• Adzak turned himself in and found all the judges had been hanged in the coup

• They have a pretend trial and Adzak is appointed judge over the Fat Prince’s nephew

• Adzak has been a judge who gives stupid unlikely verdicts

• After the Grand Duke’s return, Adzak is fearful

• Governor’s wife approaches Adzak to take on her case and he obliges

Scene Five: The Chalk Circle

• Grusha reunites with servant friends in court

• Simon appears and says he will swear he’s Michael’s father

• Gov’s wife testimonies and Adzak accepts a bribe from her lawyers

• Grusha says the child is hers and that she brought him up

• Gov’s wife’s lawyers say the child is hers

• Grusha, simon, and the cook attempt to argue but Adzak keeps fining them

• Grusha criticizes Adzak

• The singer sings about why Grusha doesn’t want Michael to grow up wealthy

• The Chalk Circle test happens, and Adzak declares Grusha to be Michael’s true mother

• Adzak wants the governor’s estates turned into a playground

• They all dance and drink

• Adzak “accidentally” divorces Grusha from Yussup, so Simon and Grusha can be together

• Adzak disappears

• The Singer says everyone gets what they deserve!