“How slow and calm is the river of return”. Authors: Alvis Hermanis, Elita Kļaviņa, Kaspars Znotiņš, Guna Zariņa, Gundars Āboliņš, Vilis Daudziņš, Baiba Broka, Andris Keišs, Sandra Kļaviņa, board member Gundega Palma and head of external communications Elīna Adamaite. The artist of the book is Kristīne Jurjāne. Proofreader Guna Kalniņa. Publisher: New Riga Theater.
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21:02, 17 February 2024
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“How a slow and calm river is the return” – this is the name given to the book about the birth and life of the New Riga Theater (JRT) in eleven stories and 130 pictures. With this book, the theater ends its “years of exile” on Miera Street and returns to its historic home on Lāčplēša Street.
There are singing actors, and there are writing actors, as eight JRT stage artists, co-authors of the book zero, have just proven. The artistic director of the theater Alvis Hermanis, for whom the story of the theater is also the story of himself, the director of the theater Gundega Palma and the international relations coordinator of the theater Elīna Adamaite also shared the vision of JRT.
OTHERS ARE CURRENTLY READING
Alvis Hermanis says that this book is a view of the New Riga Theater from the inside. Therefore, he himself will try to describe what no one else knows – how this theater came about.
The book is made as a collage with many photos from the personal archive of the actors, as well as pictures of Jānis Deinats and Gints Mālders from the performances. The book has a historical and also poignant touch. Because sixteen of the people in the picture of the first opening are no longer with us.
Shorter and longer stories are offered to the reader. The most detailed one is for Vilis Udgiņis, but let everyone find out for themselves who has the shortest one.
“It was 1992 when I met Alvi Herman on a bench in Kronvald Park. And he had an idea. I can say that Alvis had fallen out of the blue. Latvian Television, where I worked at the time, had sent a message to call back. So we sat on a dirty bench, and Alvis told us about his plan to make a show. Instead of the Youth Theater, there is now the New Riga Theater and its artistic director Juris Rijnieks. Everything has already been arranged with him. The show will be based on Steven Soderbergh’s script for the film “Sex, Lies and Video”. A possible title for the show is ‘How slow and calm is the river of return’. Alvis himself had just returned to Latvia after several years of absence. It will be a new theater, the likes of which have not been seen here before.”
It is a fragment from the memories of the actress Elita Klaviņa. “How a slow and peaceful river is the return” became the first production of Alvjas Hermanis on the stage of the New Riga Theater on January 20, 1993.
As Elita Kļaviņa, the longest-serving actress in the JRT theater, revealed, there were no restrictions on letters (signs) or topics, everyone could write about what they wanted and in what style. Actress Baiba Broka describes the collaboration in a similar way: “If someone wants to get an idea of the New Riga Theater, it can only be found by reading the book as a whole. I like the freedom of our theater, Alvis (Hermanis) did not control who would write and about whom, we could afford absolute flight, each at the level of his own understanding and shamelessness. And everyone’s writing gives their own point of view on the same event. Maybe that’s why we are still interested in each other.”
Stage artist Andris Keišs remembered – when the Daile Theater moved from Lāčplēša Street to the new building on Brīvības Street, there was a theatrical procession. JRT is not prone to such a thing – therefore bags and boxes of decorations will not be carried from one house to another in public, but instead of a street walk, this book will be there. As a return.
“We just started rehearsing on the big stage in the renovated building on Lāčplēša Street,” said Andris Keiš. “We had already forgotten how comprehensive our stage is and how big and solemn it is at the same time. For many it is a return, but for the young actors of JRT – the first moments on the historical stage. And even though the audience chairs are still packed in plastic covers, the feeling is very inspiring.”
This is also why the book was written by those who are returning to the historical home of their theater on Lāčplēša Street. But, of course, many, many others are mentioned in the stories.
The book is unique. It does not have an editor, but proofreader Guna Kalniņas describes the authors of the new edition as follows: “The fact that the same episode from the life of the theater is repeated in the book on different pages in different sauces is the strength of this edition and not its weakness. It is interesting to follow how the authors write in their own style. For Elita Kļaviņa it is a stream of consciousness, Guna Zariņa has not only her own style, but also her own grammar – so be it! I read Baiba Broka’s article first, also symptomatically, everything is fine, I dotted the edges of the pages with questions – are the names of the shows in italics or in quotation marks? Do we write in parentheses for each show that the director is Alvis Hermanis or do we do without it… But when I read Andras Keiš’s article, I suspected that the text was spoken and “ghost” writers worked there – recorded everything, then deciphered it… (It really was compliment – V. K.) When I finally came to Gundega Palma’s article with the wonderful title “You can do anything, you just have to figure out how to do it”, everything fell into place. That is exactly what this book has done.”
Kristīne Jurjāne, the costume designer for many performances, who designed the book, confessed to a very touching feeling when her whole life was between two covers: “I felt like a family in this theater, where you can argue, but you always make up. As the currently very relevant Anšlavs Eglītis said, past moments of happiness are like crutches to jump on even when the legs are broken. I hope that I won’t have to use my crutches so soon, but there really are moments of happiness in this book.”
Actors Guna Zariņa, Sandra Kļaviņa and Kaspars Znotiņš also shared their personal memories in the book, who said: “However we remember how we, the actors, are doing and how well it will be in the renovated house, the book is a story about our viewers, and it is for them. And the return celebration will also be for the theater audience.”
Therefore, it is important to know where the book will be sold. If online, it will be delivered to your home, but digitally, fans of not so “glossy” JRT (and performing arts in general) will be able to buy this edition in beautiful hard covers (price 38 euros) at the New Riga Theater before the performances. If someone can’t decide on a purchase right away, no big deal. Because, as actor Gundars Āboliņš told me, enough copies have been printed.
“How slow and calm is the river of return”.
Authors: Alvis Hermanis, Elita Kļaviņa, Kaspars Znotiņš, Guna Zariņa, Gundars Āboliņš, Vilis Daudziņš, Baiba Broka, Andris Keišs, Sandra Kļaviņa, board member Gundega Palma and head of external communications Elīna Adamaite. The artist of the book is Kristīne Jurjāne. Proofreader Guna Kalniņa. Publisher: New Riga Theater.
Themes
2024-02-17 19:14:01
#slow #calm #river #return #book #life #Riga #Theater #stories #pictures
