{"id":191,"date":"2018-05-06T09:23:27","date_gmt":"2018-05-06T09:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/?p=191"},"modified":"2022-02-06T21:31:35","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T21:31:35","slug":"latvian-directors-set-course-for-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/latvian-directors-set-course-for-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"Latvian Directors Set Course for Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Matti Linnavuori<\/strong>*<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baltic Drama Forum and Spelmanu nakts (Performer\u2019s Night) in Riga, Latvia, November 2017.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Riga, everything is different from 2011, when I last visited. In 2011, the street view was dominated by men in black leather jackets, but, now, either the fashion has changed, or the ways to distribute wealth in society have evolved. In 2011, the three Baltic countries, in turn, invited productions from their neighbours, but, now, the Baltic Drama Forum is content to showcase artworks of the host country. In 2011, the focus was on reclaiming national history, still struggling after the five-decade-long Soviet occupation, but, in 2017, theatre has become very much a director\u2019s art (https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/6\/baltic-theatre-seeks-to-define-rather-than-depict-history\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the more surprising, then, that the best-known Latvian director, Alvis Hermanis, and his New Riga Theatre are absent from the selection. Also, in 2017, most festival productions are directed by newcomers; the generation of 2011 cannot be much older than forty, but, still, they have been passed over for brightest recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The politicians of Success Story<\/em>, from left: Daiga Gaismi\u0146a, Uldis Sili\u0146\u0161, J\u0101nis Vimba, Rom\u0101ns Bargais Photo by Agnese Zelti\u0146a<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Baltic Drama Forum coincided with Spelmanu nakts, which is the annual parade of the best productions on Latvia\u2019s stages. Many shows were presented in both capacities: as prime examples of Latvian writing, and as contestants in various \u201cbest of\u201d categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreign guests were asked to vote for the best Latvian play, and I chose Success Story<\/em>, written by Janis Balodis and directed by Valters Silis, produced by Latvia\u2019s National Theatre. It is a journalistic account of the machinations behind Latvia\u2019s economic crisis of 2008. Who did what, why, and what did he conceal from the public? Details escape me, but I recognize the style and the necessity for theatre to assume tasks which used to belong to investigative media. The basement of the National Theatre building houses the stage for four men and one woman, in suits. The acting is precise and delightfully subdued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The mother of Small-birches (Maija Doveika, left) addresses the servant Trine (Dita L\u016bri\u0146a). Photo by Kristaps Kalns<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Voting for Success Story<\/em> probably was much too obvious a decision, but I say in my defense that the tough nuts of the program, Trine<\/em> and Fire and Night<\/em>, require quite a bit of local cultural knowledge to be fully appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video<\/h6>\n\n\n\n