Although the theater in Valmiera has been played before, November 25th is considered the birthday of the professional theater, when it was officially opened with the play “Kas tie takii ka dīdīā” by Ādolfs Alunāns. The Valmiera theater is celebrating its 100th anniversary today, and 50 of them are also the time of the actor Agra Māsena in the Valmiera theater.
Early Brother
Photo: Gunta Matisone / Latvian Radio
From the pharaoh’s fan to the characters
Agris remembers entering the theater – nearby, on the edge of the Dzirnavu lake, nervous before the audition:
“1968, I was running along Ziloņi Street and counting verses to myself, and in the theater, after the rehearsal, Pēteris Lūcis and Olģerts Kroders listened to me and said, well, come to work, let’s see what you can do. Of course, I started as a stage boy, then little by little, through small tricks, I proved that I can also do something on stage.”
In fifty years, many different characters have been played in the theater. Agris admits that it is impossible to list them all: “Wow! There are more than Rainim! There are about 26 volumes with roles!”
Not without humor, Agris also remembers his first role in the theater:
“In Leon Paegle’s “Gods and People” by the director Luča, I had a “hugely important” task – it was about ancient Egypt, and in a cage sat like a pharaoh, a fabulous actor with a tall stature – Žanis Vīnkalns. I was standing next to him, I had a wooden fan , with which I fanned the pharaoh, and tried to fan terribly seriously, deeply, excellently, so that the pharaoh is not hot.”
A conversation with Agri Māsena, the winner of the Lifetime Award of “Spelmaņu nakts”.
Valmiera theater as a university
Entering the Valmiera Theater early on was a real university of life, for which he still feels grateful, because it was also a time of strong personalities in the Valmiera Theatre.
“During the Soviet Union, the theater was a different world, first of all, a Latvian environment, an absolutely Latvian environment, and secondly, the fact that all my colleagues were intelligent, smart, knowledgeable and understood what was really happening during all these years of the Soviet Union. It was my university to meet Crowder, Luci – so opposite in character, thinking, but it is the value of values. Then later, Māra Ķimele. I am very grateful to fate that I ended up at the Valmiera Theatre.
God forbid that a Soviet-era tumult would have come out of me. That’s my name. Tuimis – it’s nothing like that…
In general, they all somehow trusted me, gave me roles to develop. It already develops the actor a lot, because without roles, how will you develop like that with that fan?” continues Agris.
This week, Agris Māsēns received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Gambler’s Night, but this is not the first Gambler’s Night award. It was also received as the best supporting actor in “Uncle Vani”, and another humorous incident is connected with this show.
“I have to start a monologue, an important monologue, about the fact that the manor should be sold. I was playing Professor Serebryakov, but the “black” came on, the monologue should start, but I suddenly have absolute emptiness in my head. I’m starting now – I’m old, pause, I’m old – a pause, well, I’m very old – a pause and there’s nothing you can do. At that moment, my colleagues turned their backs to the audience and shook in convulsions. That’s my classic. A complete “black” came! Well, it’s been all kinds of things,” admits Agris.
He likes roles that are “so strong – not to break out, but strong characters”.
Agris received his professional education in Moscow, where he studied directing, studied together with Mihaila Gruzdova, whose path also later led to Valmiera.
“I tried to shoot two birds with one stone, I thought I would improve my acting skills and also learn directing skills. It was a mentally strong time, because we watched all the best shows in Moscow, the strongest directors. But I don’t know, maybe my acting nature prevailed and I didn’t direct at the Valmiera Theater, only in Smiltene, amateurs, in schools,” continues Agris.
Award for lifetime contribution to theater art to Lolita Cauka and Agri Māsēnas6min
You have to leave the stage in time
For 15 years, Agris Māsēns also managed the Smiltene Folk Theater, which won many awards in amateur theater shows.
“They trusted me completely and when there is mutual trust, then something happens. It is a very beautiful time in my life, I am very grateful to the people of Smilten for that. The atmosphere, the people who still came after work, and we really we rehearsed twice a week, until ten in the evening. I am glad that we won a hall for the theater in the new cultural center in Smiltene. We did well, we even experienced Paula Putniņš’s play “Pusdūša” 30 times, which is a very serious number for an amateur theater,” recalls Agris.
Five years ago, he decided to leave the theater, citing both health reasons and the need to take a decisive step in time.
“I understood – pay attention, pay early, learn to leave the stage in time. I am not one of those who agree that it was given to us by God or something else that
we can play and be on stage forever. No, it’s such a waste of energy and self-wasting, and if I can’t do it with all my might, then I’ll go back to the pharaoh’s fan – that’s what I don’t want,” admits Agris.
Being away from the stage, Agris Māsēns follows the performances and everything new in the Valmiera theater, because – no matter what – it is still and will be his theater.
2023-11-25 08:18:34
#stage #full #swing #conversation #Agri #Māsena #winner #Lifetime #Award #Spelmaņu #nakts
