Latvian Theater Icon Gunārs Placens Dies at 97
Latvia mourns the loss of legendary actor Gunārs Placens, who passed away yesterday at the age of 97. Placens, a mainstay of the renowned Daile Theater, leaves behind a legacy of over a hundred roles and an indelible mark on the Latvian theater scene.
Renowned Latvian actor, Jānis Šveiks, described the young Placens as "an actor of strength and ecstasy." Despite aspirations for heroic roles, Placens’s physical appearance led him down a different path. "Plačena wanted to play hero roles, but his looks did not correspond," wrote Vakara Ziņas.
"A singer for the little people," as theater critic Gunnars Treimanis affectionately dubbed him, Placens captivated audiences with his unique talent and memorable performances.
One of his most iconic roles came unexpectedly. While initially slated as understudy, Placens found himself thrust into the lead role of Šveik in a production directed by Jānis Šveiks himself.
Recalling the event years later, Placens said, “Šveika’s place was assigned to Pāvul, he is trying, but I have to be in the hall all the time, sit and watch. It was like that in almost every play by Smilģas.”
“But at that time, Pāvuls was filming in the movie ‘Kärkli pelekie zied’, and at one point, the director of the show had to tell Smilgis that Pāvulsh wouldn’t be here today. The director asked if Placen was there. That’s how it started played Schweik."
Unfortunately, Placens’s triumph was short-lived. "But, when the play was accepted, Šveika was played by Pāvul. At that time, the commission came from the Ministry of Culture, and Pavuls was the minister of clips behind his ears – they were made in the film studio. The minister says: Well, not really. Smilgis says: Paga, paga, we have the other one still. When we look at the other one, we will talk further. On the second day, there was a rehearsal in the morning, the commission came in the evening. Smilgis invited me to his office: so kind and sweet – he sat down on his sofa. I played Schweik in the evening. But for Pāvul, it was the only time he played this role,” Placen recalled.
Placens’s passing is a significant loss for Latvian culture and theater.
Read more about Gunārs Placens’ life and career here.
2024-12-01 05:31:00
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