Before returning to its historical home on Lāčplēša Street, the New Riga Theater offers its loyal viewers the book “How a slow and calm river is the return”.
Allowing you to look into the birth and further life of the theater in 11 stories and more than 130 photographs. There were uplifting feelings at the book launch. In addition, the satisfaction of what was accomplished alternated with the recognitions of the actors of the New Riga Theater.
“How a slow and calm river is the return” was the first production of the director Alvjas Hermanis on the stage of the New Riga Theater on January 20, 1993. The author of the idea of the book is Alvis Hermanis, who has done his job by sharing his personal memories of life in the New Riga Theater.
The director’s follow in the footsteps also actors Elita Kļaviņa, Kaspars Znotiņš, Guna Zariņa, Gundars Āboliņš, Vilis Daudziņš, Baiba Broka, Andris Keišs, Sandra Kļaviņa, board member Gundega Palma and head of external relations Elīna Adamaite, who contributed to the book. Some of the authors were also at the book presentation and were happy to share their thoughts on the creation of the book.
The design of the book was created by the artist Kristīne Jurjāne, who revealed her thoughts about the written book:
Thanks to Alvi Herman for the idea to create such a book. And create not from the point of view of a theater scientist, but from the actors’ point of view – experienced. When Alvis called me and held the book in his hands, he said that it was an extremely touching feeling, because the whole life is between two covers. And so it is in a sense, everything is inside here.
I myself have always had a sense of family among these actors. The New Riga Theater is like a family to me, with whom I can argue, but also fix. That family feeling has always been there, which is important.
The current writer Anšlavs Eglītis has said: “Past moments of happiness are like crutches on which to jump even when your legs are broken.” I hope I won’t have to use those crutches so soon, but these moments of happiness are right around the corner.
Gundega Palma, a member of the board of the New Riga Theater, admits that the book is a value:
Writing about the past was certainly challenging. Because actors have stories about performances and different trips, but I don’t have such stories, I have that other side, that kitchen, which, frankly, doesn’t always need to be told. So it was a challenge for me to write my story so that others would find it interesting.
When writing, I was guided by feelings. It is history. In the book, it was interesting for me to read what other colleagues wrote that I knew but had forgotten. It’s exciting to be able to read, laugh and think.
Joy for the actors. We also create shows, films and now we are writing a book. Let’s see what happens next.
Actress Baiba Broka reveals what inspired her to write her chapter in the book:
“Everyday writing is not my job and it is different from the skills I use, so I needed some compulsion. I admit that I needed encouragement from Alvjas Hermani to write, as well as from Inga Liepiņa, who helped focus the book to the final result, but such a gentle reminder, because nothing happens by force. I was also gentle with myself, because I let the text mature so that I myself could understand what I wanted to say.
The feeling of flipping through a book now is special. I think that the main impulse was necessary and very good, which came from Alvjas Hermanis, because it was he who had written his version and sent it to us. That’s what inspired me. I still remember that when I read Alvya’s writing, I immediately thought about what I myself would like to say in the book. I wrote down some ideas on my phone and then evaluated them. Alvis is inspiring not only in the performances, but also here, because it was he who gave the charge of energy that made you not to be afraid, but to let go and write. What you want to write.
Also, what we have wanted to write can now be seen in a book and it is so different. Both in terms of how the actors wrote about the New Riga Theater, and also in terms of volume. I don’t know if I’ll write again, maybe if someone gives me an idea, but I don’t think so soon, because writing is not my genre. I think that maybe Vilis Daudzins will continue to write, but I will continue to give interviews and write a diary until the next invitation, so that someone else will continue to write.
Elita Kļaviņa, the actress who has been working at the New Riga Theater the longest, says that theater is a fleeting art:
It was a look back into the past and the past is quite rich. It didn’t seem possible for me to cover everything, although I don’t know why that was, if it was laziness or something else. I think strategically which stage I would like to write in detail. That’s why I chose the stage before the formation of the official troupe. The first collaboration with Alvi Hermani. Since he later also became the artistic director, that way, those techniques, how he did everything in the first performances, determined the future of the New Riga Theater.
The challenge was to figure out what to pull out of all the long years. I used to keep diaries when I was young, but now I write less. It is cruel and you have to discipline yourself, because my diary did not contain the facts that I wanted to write in this book.
There is an impression that the New Riga Theater has been of interest to people for a long time. This book is a tribute to the audience who came to the shows over the years, who sympathized with us, survived the failures, and some of them are still loyal today. This book records the time we have had. This book touches on time. It is unique. The book contains stories about our internal kitchen, the making of shows, but also a lot of evidence about the time when it was all made. The world today has changed a lot if you compare the last 5 years. Reading the book will be the same as looking into history.
Theater is a very volatile art. We actors put on the best performances, but after a while they are gone. The book is a touch of history and performances.
Actor Andris Keišs says that this was the first experience of writing a book:
I was interested in writing. The biggest challenge was that when you talk, you already help with gestures and energy. For example, even in life I joke with serious words and it’s funny, but when you write a joke with serious words, then it’s no longer a joke. So you had to look for special side words or funny endings to realize it was a joke. That was the main challenge.
I also imagined a grumpy gentleman reading and wished he understood what I wrote and what I wanted to say. The New Riga Theater, when we were still on Lāčplēša Street, started a lot of things. We started traveling around the world, we took the name of Latvian theater outside of Latvia, we started a lot of new things. The book was created to record what happened.
It was the first book I wrote, but I really enjoyed it. So I hope this is a comma and not a period. I don’t practice writing. I also don’t like to be contemplative, although I have been writing a diary since I was 14 years old, but unfortunately I have to say that I write the facts of where I was and what I did. I do not write that I was excited about this beautiful day.
Actor Kaspars Znotiņš does not hide his satisfaction with the work done:
Maybe this book is a start. One of the authors of the book highlighted the text of the character of the show: “Remember, we are always just getting started!” It is clear that more will be written about the New Riga Theater. This is our encouragement, our humble beginning. In the book, of course, much is complimentary about us. We were asked whether we should have introduced a sharper line, I think that in time these lines will emerge regarding our theater. This is just the beginning.
We continue. New ideas emerge. Audiences fight for our theater tickets. The big rehearsal on the new stage just happened, a new show is being created. Colleague Gundars Āboliņš said that we did what we had never done before, but practically the reality is even harsher. Alvis Hermanis rightly says: “Do what we don’t know how to do!” In life it is that maybe we shouldn’t do what we don’t know how to do, but in the creative area, in art, you can’t say that. You have to take risks.
We don’t know how to write books. A couple of books by Gundars Āboliņš have acted as translators, of course Vilis Aboliņis has experience here, but the rest of us were beginners in writing books. It was easy for me to write because I had so far recorded in two or three sentences what I did everyday without putting the emotional side. Today, in the age of the Internet, when only emotionally charged texts break through the mass of information, it is important to stick to facts, events, and developments in order to maintain a clear mind.
I have practiced writing down daily events in a diary. Sitting 15 minutes before the performance, waiting for the audience to enter the hall, I write down with a pencil what has happened to me that day. Maximum two sentences. I could write more in the book. I had dated the events of my life over 10 years. Accordingly, it was easy for me to write down a transcript of the chronicle in a book.
I wrote what my daily life as an actor means to me, what is behind it all, what has been before, what is behind the building. The building is the common denominator in this book. This is a tribute to the old building, the old New Riga Theater.
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2024-02-08 10:06:50
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