So.... What's It About?

It’s something I’ve gotten a lot lately. What’s it about? Um… Well…

I think it says something about the nature of drama that people are concerned primarily with the story being told. That’s the first question – “what’s it about?” – followed usually by “well, how much is it?” Theater is first and foremost about telling a story, a fact that has been made undeniable through this rehearsal process. Every stitch on the costumes, every nail in the set, and every facial expression on the actors is done in service to the story. This is why I’ve been getting that question a lot – “what’s it about?” The problem is I’m having a hard time answering it…

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? Judging by the title, it’s about white people, right? No. Well, yes, there are some white people, but that’s not what the title is referring to. Nor does the chalk circle have anything to do with sidewalks, blackboards, or gymnastics. Sure, the title makes sense after the story, but retroactive understanding doesn’t help me answer the question.

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? Judging by the promotional materials it is some sort of musical adaptation of The Ring, right? No. As much as I would love to spend some quality, tell-me-all-about-the-outback-and-those-romantic-Nicole Kidman-rumors time with Naomi Watts, this play has nothing to do with that underrated horror movie. But the promotional materials aren’t supposed to be overtly informative; they’re supposed to be striking and interest-forming. And they are. Two teaser trailers were also created (scroll down if you haven’t seen them), but they come about as close to story clarity as John McCain does to spry and hip.

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? Depends on what you mean by “about.” The play is about loyalty, royalty, war, and peace. It’s about love, loss, life, and sacrifice. It’s about justice, about class, about that giant valley of grey between the mountains of good and evil. Even a plot synopsis doesn’t do the story justice – a girl finds a baby during wartime, she goes a bunch places with it, there’s an inept judge (with a hunky sidekick), a lot of singing, and some tug-of-war... No, that doesn’t work. The Caucasian Chalk Circle is one girl’s struggle to find what’s right amid a war-torn haystack of wrong…. That’s just stupid.

There’s almost too much going on in the play to answer the question.

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? That depends on your perception. Judging by the script, I thought it was going to be 99% comedy. But it’s not. It’s serious, dramatic, epic… and occasionally hilarious. A quick YouTube search yields a number of different interpretations and styles (including one with a Cochran-esque take on the lawyers in the final scene). There’s music, but it isn’t a musical. There’s love, but it isn’t a romance. There’s a judge, but it isn’t a daytime television show with ITT-Tech commercials played during commercials.

What is The Caucasian Chalk Circle about? It’s hard to say. It’s about a lot of things. And you’ll just have to take my word for it. There’s so much more that goes into storytelling than just the word “about.” A story is only as strong as how it is told, and that is what we in the cast and crew have been conscious of during this whole process. The Caucasian Chalk Circle is pure theatrical storytelling. It is truly an experience, and I hope to see you there.

And until then quit asking me what its about.

-Luke Sorge