The play, which is loosely based on old Chinese legend, takes place in a fictional country based on the Republic of Georgia and addresses questions of morality and fate.

First professionally presented in 1948 at the legendary Philadelphia-area Hedgerow Theatre, The Caucasian Chalk Circle has earned its reputation as one of Brecht’s quintessential works.

A traditional staging of The Caucasian Chalk Circle requires more than 50 actors. Temple Theaters will present the classic work with 30 actors, including a small child. Even with fewer characters, the play has been a welcome challenge and a learning experience, LaManna said.

“I have been living and breathing this play since September,” she said. “The subject matter can be very heavy and emotionally draining. And the task of managing a large cast can be draining as well.”

This often-studied but rarely staged masterwork returns to Philadelphia at Temple’s Tomlinson Theater with previews on March 19 and 20, in anticipation of the opening night performance on March 21. The Caucasian Chalk Circle will run through March 29.

“What an honor to present Brecht’s little-seen modern classic, The Caucasian Chalk Circle,” said Douglas C. Wager, artistic director of Temple Theaters. “This play, written in 1944, is a fresh, vibrant, and thought-provoking parable for our troubled times, proving Brecht was what he has so often been called: a visionary far ahead of his time.”