Title: The Caucasian chalk circle
Description: In a prologue set in Soviet Georgia, a narrator introduces the story of choice and sacrifice. The servant girl Grusha sacrifices everything she has to look after an abandoned child, even marrying a dying peasant in order to provide for him. But when the boy's biological mother attempts to reclaim him, the unruly judge Azdak calls on the ancient tradition of the chalk circle to resolve the dispute. Brecht subverts an ancient Chinese story into a parable advocating that resources should go to those best able to make use of them. A morality masterpiece, the play powerfully demonstrates Brecht's pioneering theatrical techniques.