Marija Luize Meľke in the role of Assistant Tina.
Publicity photo (Andrej Strokina).
19:30 on 15 November 2023
Author: Armands Kalniņš, “Kultūrzīmes”, JSC “Latvijas Mediji”
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The play “Maigā vara” staged by director Matīs Kaža at the National Theater is his convincing debut as a theater director, one that can be called the beginning of his professional maturity years.
Matīss Kaža is better known as a film director, his previous films were characterized by the search for form, their stories were engaging, those in which problematic questions are clearly formulated and unambiguous pro/con answers are possible. The new work fits into a more complex environment where truths can be questioned. Figuratively describing its range of questions, white/black seems to hide both the blood-red and brown earth of war trenches, as well as the green hopes of spring-blooming leaves. Such “dark white” or “light black” cannot always be noticed and adequately evaluated.
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Perhaps, in terms of such ideas, an ambitious, complex and professionally thorough breakthrough was facilitated by the generally undeserved/incorrect criticism of the film “Neona pavasaris”, which portrayed the coming-of-age story of a young girl. Probably, many will remember that the film, the director and especially the actress of the main role, Marija Luiza Meľkai, were viciously attacked after the actress’ speech at the “Lielā Kristaps” award ceremony. She temporarily refused to accept the award for best female lead until the Spouses Act was passed. Coincidentally, on the day of the premiere, the Saeima supported the establishment of the legal status of the partnership, which is part of the range of issues of regulatory acts that have been rejected many times before. I don’t judge how it would be most correct to express my opinion.
A polite protest is likely to be ignored, but more radical manifestations, such as shouting at the Saeima (not always understanding what is being discussed) or damaging works of art in museums, usually hinder the achievement of the intended goals by turning against the ideas being defended. It cannot be strictly stated that the events after the “Big Kristaps” ceremony – sharp, humiliating reactions – would have a direct impact on the content of the show, however, it seems that the experienced authors allow the problem of power relations between people and groups in society to be raised to a higher and more relevant level of generalization.
The show encourages asking several socially important questions. Is it possible to have a respectful discussion on important debatable issues? Or in today’s world, any such attempt dictated by good will turns into an unbearable scourge of hatred? Will we all lose by fighting hard and will we understand the risks in time? Are any means good “if the end is noble”? How to achieve even a little openness to other views?
The authors of the show do not condense the events, rather they can be described as relatively gentle, but devastating. The play by Elsa Marta Ruža and Matīs Kaža focuses on the practice of international theater festivals, which is probably less known in Latvia. Such events need sponsors and producers, and here is one in the show – Egon Dombrovsky’s handsome Stan Nash (it’s good that the actor got to the National at the right time!) Stan Nash, the “former Russian”, whose roots of hiding his nationality lie in old humiliation (perhaps he emigrated during a “secret mission”?).
Well, the “Stasis” of the Westerners has acclimatized and adapted, it seems the same as others, but not completely “real” in its essence. His money is clean or at least purified (often it is not easy to establish the original origin of the money). It is best used to support noble projects (“all for the art!”), gently and selflessly. Because the power of art (or money) “does a lot”! Here we should remember a certain coincidence with the premiere of Kirill Serebrennikov’s film “Tchaikovsky’s Wife” at the Cannes Film Festival, at its press conference the director called for the lifting of sanctions against Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, as he allegedly helped art a lot (fortunately, the show does not follow the finesse of this case).
Ināra Slucks in the role of Rachel Dors, the executive functionary of the festival director, and Egon Dombrovskis as Stan Nash, the “former Russian”.
Publicity photo (Andrej Strokina).
Good Stan’s comrade-in-arms is Inara Slutka’s practical functionary – festival director Rachel Dors, “completely local”, who knows well what it “looks like”, what needs to be done to make everything successful. The two would get along for a long time, if not for the political upheavals, this time it is Ukraine, which should not be too actively supported, because it is now accepted in a foreign country. A correct slogan is enough!
Producer Stan is helpful, takes care of his friend’s son, a talented director who emigrated from Russia, who has gone even further in terms of external adaptation, adopting the challenging pseudonym – Christopher Marlowe. In this role, Matīss Budovskis is versatile and lively. It should be noted that the English dramatist Marlowe was important in Shakespeare’s time, and he was also a madman and a gay man. How witty that modern day Marlowe is staging a modern day Marlowe play about the Turkish/Mongol conqueror Tamburlaine/Timur (“Tamburlaine the Great”), who for the purposes of a festival show might try to conquer not Persia, but, if you need the current, then, for example, Russia? He could even be renamed Putin! After the protests of Ukrainian activists, something must be done, but what exactly can be done “without great pain”? Easy corrections in the design of the show or “correct” political accents do not help, because the purpose of the protests is the director’s nationality, connection with Russia.
This is how we come to the main point: what to do if people (their nationality, origin, orientation, etc.) are considered unacceptable, even though their work can be good and should be needed? Changing your identity, justifying yourself, even good deeds will not help, because “the fault is in you” – belonging. There are more and more similar cases, moreover, formally correct positions become flawed at least in some of their manifestations, but “righteous” protests tend to turn into all-encompassing hatred and violence, losing their ideological focus, thereby discrediting it.
The scene of the failed rehearsal of the future play, in which the director’s demands (to generalize evil?) do not match the performance of the capable, popular actor Andre (Marlowe’s favorite), is significant and apt. Kaspars Aniņš is expressive in this role of “serial star”. Gradually, the relationship between the two breaks down, Marlowe sinks into depression, but Andre is unable to risk future work opportunities, because, as experience shows, it is so easy to sink into oblivion.
Another kind of evolution of beliefs/actions is experienced by Marija Luiza Meľke’s Assistant Tina. Initially, she needs a job, Tina tries, and the proposed solutions even succeed. However, the crisis of the “team” of the festival performance leads step by step to the emotional and “misplaced” (literally) understanding of the physical abuse that she was initially able to endure. Her breaking point may even seem insignificant, incomprehensible to others. Tina’s story is more hopeful, although she loses her job when she becomes disloyal, causes trouble for her brother, but maintains her personal resilience.
Two students of the Latvian Academy of Culture make their successful debut in the show. Rudolfs Sprukulis colorfully portrays Tina’s little, deceitful brother (also a Polish émigré has become the most common Archie in the West), whom his sister unfailingly seduces. On the other hand, Agate Marija Bukša portrays the Ukrainian activist Natalka. She is interested in protesting until the “Russian project” is thwarted. But he can also be understood, because in this information war, other “soft power” activities are sure to follow.
The use of video has already been successful in several performances (not only in the honored “Rotkho” Fine Arts Theater, but so far the most impressive – in Elina Matvejeva’s video performance “Ladies” in “Teatrī TT”, which took place in a real apartment). It is also essential in this production. The scenography is ambitious, laconically marking a specific environment. True, the screens on both sides are not comfortable to look at. However, with the fact that the neck muscles have to be regularly and rapidly used, turning the head back and forth, the jiggles get used to it. The staging would fit perfectly in a larger, for example, the future hall of the National Theater, which does not yet exist, but hopefully will be added, we must wish the show to wait for it and move to a space of appropriate scale.
What could be the benefit after watching the show? Perhaps – the human aspects of acute events? The “creative crisis” of the director, unable to comply with the demands, creates a personal crisis from which there is no way out yet. Would an artist be able to produce good work under external pressure (because “society” knows better)? Not only does brutal military/political power destroy, but the excruciating soft power depicted in this show also destroys even those who are trying to do their jobs in good faith. However, a more spring-like ray of hope appears. Tina’s public revelations about what she experienced are also a kind of “soft power” manifestations. Against the scourge of tenderness with directness and openness?
INQUIRY
“Soft Power”, a production at the National Theatre
* Director: Matīss Kaža, playwrights Matīss Kaža, Elsa Marta Ruža, scenographer and costume designer Kristina Rezviha, composer Toms Auniņš, video artist and cameraman Aleksandrs Grebņevs, LGC, movement artist Ramona Levane, lighting designer Lienīte Slišāne, producer Anna Vekmane.
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* Starring: Marija Luīze Melķke, Matīs Budovskis, Egons Dombrovskis, Kaspars Aniņš, Ināra Slucka, Rūdolfs Sprukulis, Agate Marija Bukša.
* Next performances: November 22, December 2.
Themes
2023-11-15 17:36:31
#unbearable #misery #tenderness #Review #show #Soft #Power
