Los Angeles Times - Recommended
"...Regardless of your political persuasion, Antaeus Theatre Company's revival stylishly fulfills the key principles of Brecht's "epic theater": direct audience engagement and intellectual provocation."
Broadway World - Highly Recommended
"...Michael Khachanov's perfectly sweet and wide-eyed as Simon, the soldier enraptured with Grusha, as he flirts with Grusha and proposes before going off to war to guard the Governor's Wife."
LA Splash - Highly Recommended
"...As always, The Antaeus Theatre Company does an excellent job of presenting Brecht's story in an authentic and absorbing manner - no small feat, given the large cast of 16 and the multiple settings. Each member of the talented cast gets to play multiple roles in the play, raising the final number of characters by a factor of three or more. Director Stephanie Shroyer has her job cut out for her keeping all the threads in the tapestry from unraveling. Kudos to Frederica Nascimento's scenic design, simple yet effective, and to the entire production team. A witty and warm play which has no problem spotlighting justice, corruption, and morality, THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE gives the contemporary audience a chance to again appreciate Brecht at his best."
Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended
"...Masterfully inventive direction and a marvelously multi-talented cast work theatrical alchemy on Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle, the latest Antaeus Theatre Company triumph."
On Stage Los Angeles - Recommended
"...Brecht drops the fourth wall and makes no bones about keeping us informed that this is not just a show but an examination of ideas dramatically expanded. The acting is sometimes deliberately slightly off kilter or maybe that actor has not fully engaged with his role? Regardless, it's a play: a theatrical. It's transformational and current. Stephanie Shroyer's direction is so smooth that the ensemble seems to guide itself through the paces!"
Hollywood Progressive - Highly Recommended
"...Call Bertolt Brecht "the Hollywood Eleventh" and call Antaeus' production of his play written 75 years ago and about 25 miles west of Glendale an epic good time. Chalk is a highly entertaining romp mixing comedy, action and politics to concoct a morsel of merry madcap Marxist mayhem."
Gia on the Move - Recommended
"...The Caucasian Chalk Circle is altogether successful and truly skillful as much as it is entertaining, certainly for the Antaeus Theatre Company whose willingness for risk on stage is growing more palpable."
KCRW - Somewhat Recommended
"...I'm not sure the strength of the ending and Mr. Hofvendahl's performance justify the drive to Glendale but if you're dying for some Brecht hold the politics - this might be a good two and a half hours."
Showmag - Highly Recommended
"...Executed in a mix of song and dance, narration and dumbshow that his own "Epic" effect popularized, Stephannie Shroyer utilizes every inch of Anteaus' long stage to keep everything moving in a precise kaleidoscope of story and sound. Anteaus' strong ensemble ethic is well represented as veterans interchange roles with newcomers and back again. It's no use trying to single out any one performance - they are all strong - but each ensemble member brings his or her own distinctive style to the play. Again, Shroyer's direction comes to the fore, as these actors represent, they do not embody characters."
Stage Raw - Highly Recommended
"...One can see why Antaeus Theatre Company has decided to revive Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle now. It's a play in which the rich are revealed to be monsters of ego and avarice - where one wealthy woman even chooses an array of fancy clothing over saving her infant child. Our current sociopolitical climate, a plutocracy rife with nepotism and tax breaks for billionaires and no punishment for affluent crooks, is distressingly similar. This current production, adeptly directed by Stephanie Shroyer, brings Brecht's message of social justice to life in impressive, entertaining fashion."
Theatre Notes - Highly Recommended
"...Theatre lovers, this show is not to be missed. Antaeus Theatre Company continues to revive the great plays with consistent excellence."
On Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...The cast is exceptional in this fast-moving and demanding piece, easily switching between characters and scenes, often while singing and playing instruments such as the accordion. Hofvendahl really shines in the second act as the witty Azdak takes center stage, and Seneca is affecting as Grusha, whose heart is always in the right place. At the core of the drama is the question of how we can really decide what is best for someone else, or who has a rightful claim to a person or a thing, and the answer presented is a thoughtful one that can be applied to many modern situations."
