This year started with the 45th birthday of the theater actor Imantas Strada on January 10 and the role of Kārlis Ulmanis in the detective documentary “Where the country disappeared” directed by Tom Treiņš.
“Otherwise, this year has started peacefully for me, I just really want this madness in Ukraine to end as soon as possible. Otherwise, for two years we had a pandemic, now for a year – a war. I really want peace for once,” says Imants. He also admits that sometimes he misses the theater of Valmiera, “in which twenty-two years of my life have been played, besides, my heart hurts a lot about the construction pit at the theater site in the very center of the city. It turns out that thirty years ago the theater building was built so badly that it had to be rebuilt now. It looks very sad now».
The most important historical figure
“Yes, there have been quite a lot of historical characters in my biography – I have played both the legendary director Pēteri Lūci and the sculptor Kārli Zāli in director Ilona Brūvere’s film “The Wounded Horseman”. But Ulmanis is definitely the most important of the historical characters I have played,” says Imants and admits that playing real historical figures is very interesting, because “they can be studied and studied. Of course, you also have to figure out how to play them, because there is a thin line that can be crossed into a “final caricature”, so you have to try to understand the real person. Also, Ulman’s character is very suitable for parody, but I don’t do parody. Although – dictators are suitable for parodies in general…” That is why he created his character in the show as a person who came to certain circumstances, although, as Imants emphasizes, Ulmanis was quite parodiable at the beginning and in the peak of his career.
“Of course, I have studied materials about Ulman, although I cannot claim that I have read all available literature. After all, if Latvia had four presidents before the war, how many of them do we know? Ulmani and possibly Jānis Čaksti, while Zemgala seems to be unknown to anyone. That is why Ulmanis is remembered for waving his finger and making it [1934. gada 15. maija] coup.»
When asked if he had thought about how he would act in Ulmanis’ place in the situation of 1940, the actor refused: “After the premiere, we spoke with President Levitt and concluded that the only mistake that Ulmanis made at that time was signing the papers, thus making the occupation legitimate . Ulmani did not have any “terrible” opportunity to influence what was happening. I will tell you an interesting thing: in my opinion, Ulmanis, who was 63 years old at the time, overestimated his age. And perhaps if he had called people to resist, he would now be an even greater holy martyr. But, of course, I can’t say how I would act in his place.” However, playing this statesman seems very interesting to Imanta, and the audience has also received the new show with a good response, according to him. “We don’t give any answers, otherwise it would be didactic and a history lesson; we only ask questions, so everyone can draw their own conclusions”, the actor adds and laughs – it’s good that the preparation for this role is over, otherwise “for the last two months, I haven’t thought about anything else, only about Ulmani”.
“I go and just do my job!”
In May of this year, it will be three years since Imants moved from the Valmiera theater to Daili. Asked how he managed to fit into the new team during this time, he refused: “I don’t think about it at all, I just have to work.” We haven’t had any “team building” events either, if only the closing of the season. But I already said that I have played in different ones [aktieru] in ensembles, so I really don’t have a problem. And it’s not like I didn’t know anyone here before I moved. That’s why I don’t think in such categories as fitting in; I just ride the bus and work.”
When asked how many roles he has played in Daile during this time, Imants laughs that anyone can look at them on the theater’s website, but then he himself counts that he is currently playing in eight plays, which, according to him, is not a few: “I have a role in both the play “Zemdegas” and ” Judas Iscariot”, also in “Three friends” and “The play that melts in butter”, so there is no shortage of things to do.”
The actor is also used to the slightly more than one and a half hour long journey from Valmiera to Riga and back: «I spend about an hour and forty minutes on the way to Teika by bus, and then another fifteen minutes by trolleybus to the theater. The same way back, and I can easily catch the penultimate bus; I drive the last one only if it’s a really late show. On the bus, I can both learn roles and do many other things.»
Talking about other creative plans, Imants says that while waiting for the summer – maybe then the director Artūrs Īkis will film the third – final part of “Class Reunion”. And in another month, together with his colleagues from the National Theater, he will take part in the concert of theater songs “One place on the deer is still free”: “I don’t really consider myself a singing actor; rather, I am a “performing” actor, but I will still sing three songs in the concert: “White is the acacia sheet”, “Blue carbuncle” and “For green even greener”. I hadn’t sung in a long time, and I thought this was a good company, so I agreed to participate. There, some of my colleagues are already opening their mouths, then he can really hear!” In the summer, Imants hopes to finish all the decoration and furnishing of the house in Valmiera: the dog has been violated, the tail is still left.
Help Ukrainians
When asked what the actor expects from this year, Imants Strad summarizes: «You can see for yourself that things are getting worse and worse in recent years: the covid just ended, the war immediately started. May God grant that it ends sooner, so that some kind of global trouble does not start again. And unfortunately, I do not believe that the war will end so quickly, because the Russians have very large resources. The only consolation is that one country has never been able to defeat the rest of the world in a war.” Imants and his family have also lent a helping hand to help Ukraine win the war: «We prepared cans (cans) for trench candles, which are now relevant and are being sent to the front, while Elina is engaged in collecting warm clothes that are being sent to Ukraine; she has also taken charge of one Ukrainian family that now lives in Valmiera.»
