Tinfo news 2007/2


		No 2 / April 2007
		News from the Finnish Theatre Information Centre

		This is a monthly bulletin informing you about theatre events, new drama and international projects in Finland, sent to you by the Finnish Theatre Information Centre (TINFO). Some basic information of Finnish theatre life, and links to theatres, theatre organisations and festivals you can find from our website http://www.teatteri.org/english/index.html

		In this issue: Finnish Drama Abroad: Festival of Finnish theatre in USA Finnpad promotes Finnish drama in Hungary Ruohonen's Olga in Minsk Myllyaho's Panic to Copenhagen Readings of Panic and A Mobile Horror in Greece Other plays abroad: Marilyn, What a Bother, Kieslowski's Neck Finnish Theatres abroad: Viirus to Croatia Reality Research Centre to Copenhagen Klockrike in St Petersburg Finnish Days in Estonia Smeds Ensemble - new international theatre group Other News: Mobile.home Study Report completed State Prize for Theatre to Laura Jäntti Raija-Liisa Seilo new Director of the Theatre in Turku City Theatre Upcoming Festivals in Finland

		Festival of Finnish theatre in USA Finnish drama export is making history in June. Two contemporary Finnish plays are having their premieres in an American theatre. In addition, another two plays will be seen as rehearsed readings. Theatre director Mikko Viherjuuri is the primus motor to all this. A couple of years ago he introduced to TINFO an idea of a US tour of Finnish plays. The point was that Viherjuuri would travel along the West Coast with the best contemporary plays, and he would present them to the theatres. TINFO joined the project - now called Find a Fine Finnish Play - and Viherjuuri’s tour became a success. The second phase of Find a Fine Finnish Play is now beginning. Lit Moon Theatre Company will realise a festival of Finnish drama at The Center Theatre, Santa Barbara, in June 8.-17. The artistic director of the theatre, John Blondell, will direct Queen C by Laura Ruohonen. Mikko Viherjuuri will direct For Sheer Love of Me by Anna Krogerus – it is the first time a Finnish theatre director works at a professional theatre in USA. Two more plays, Mika Myllyaho’s Panic and Sirkku Peltola’s The Finnhorse will be presented as staged readings at the festival. Tinfo’s director Riitta Seppälä, dramaturge Eva Buchwald from Finnish National Theatre and the playwrights Laura Ruohonen, Anna Krogerus and Sirkku Peltola will be present at the festival. The seconde phase of FFFP will also include include a new choice of Finnish plays which Mr Viherjuuri will carry in his suitcase and present to several theatres in California. http://www.litmoon.com/ Up

		Finnpad promotes Finnish drama in Hungary Finnagora is the centre for Finnish culture, research and business in Hungary. The centre has now launched the website of the Finnpad Theatre Export Project. On the site you can find information on Finnish drama and Finnpad events in Hungarian, Finnish and English. Playwright files on the site, compiled by TINFO, Nordic Drama Corner and SUNKLO (Finnish Dramatists’ Union), present eleven interesting playwrights and their translated plays. Kari Hotakainen, Juha Jokela, Leea Klemola, Anna Krogerus, Juha Lehtola, Reko Lundán, Mika Myllyaho, Sirkku Peltola, Laura Ruohonen, Pirkko Saisio and Kristian Smeds are presented on the site, and more is to come. The project’s name Finnpad refers to a Hungarian word színpad, which means stage. The aim of the project is to promote contemporary Finnish drama in Hungary (and the surrounding areas) and to find new contacts such as translators, publishers and performers for Finnish drama. http://www.finnagora.hu/finnpad Up

		Laura Ruohonen’s Olga in Minsk Playwright Laura Ruohonen’s play Olga had its premiere in Minsk, Belarus, in March. Olga is being performed at the Belarussian national stage, the Kupala Theatre. The role of Olga is interpreted by Maria Zaharevits. The director of the play is Oleg Zhugzhda. Ruohonen’s Olga has been played earlier in Ireland, Scotland and Lithuania. Laura Ruohonen and Olga on Finnagora’s website: http://www.finnagora.hu/frameset.php The Kupala Theatre: http://www.kupala-theatre.by/ Up

		Mika Myllyaho’s Panic to Copenhagen Director-playwright Mika Myllyaho’s play Paniikki (Panic) will have its first premiere abroad in Bellevue Teatret, Copenhagen, at the beginning of 2008. The director will be Morten Kirkskov. Panic has raised interest in several other countries, too. The Finnish premiere of the play was in 2005 in Ryhmäteatteri. Mika Myllyaho and Panic on Finnagora’s website: http://www.finnagora.hu/frameset.php Up

		Rehearsed readings of Panic and A Mobile Horror in Greece The Hellenic Centre of the International Theatre Institute launched its first Rehearsed Readings of International Plays in 26-27. March 2007. The centre read dozens of scripts, and chose plays from Bulgaria, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Canada, Croatia and Finland to be read in the showcase. The plays from Finland were Mika Myllaho’s Panic and Juha Jokela’s A Mobile Horror. Panic was translated by Aggelos Kechagias and attended by Stratis Panourios. A Mobile Horror was translated by Leonidas Skoutas and attended by Fotis Makris. Information on Myllyaho, Jokela and their plays also on Finnagora’s website: http://www.finnagora.hu/frameset.php Up

		Other plays abroad: Marilyn in Estonia A new Finnish musical based on Marilyn Monroe’s life, Marilyn, has raised interest in several Finnish theatres and also abroad. Ugala Theatre in Viljandi, Estonia, has staged Marilyn since December 2006. Marilyn is written by Eppu Nuotio, Tiina Brännare and Matti Seppänen. The music of the musical is a collection of evergreens from Monroe’s films. The Finnish premiere of the musical was in February 2005 at the TTT-Theatre in Tampere. **** What a Bother by Maria Kilpi to Stückemarkt Dramaturge student Maria Kilpi’s play Harmin paikka (What a Bother) is one of the five new European plays to be presented in Stückemarkt Theatertreffen Festival, Berlin, in May. Maria Kilpi studies at the Theatre Academy of Finland. **** Kieslowski’s Neck as a radioplay in Australia Australian radio company ABC National will broadcast the radioplay Kieslowski’s Neck on April 29 and May 4. The play is written by Pirjo Toikka and Sinikka Nopola. It is translated by Ona Nurkkala, the producer is Anne McInerneyand the actors are Jane Clifton and Tracy Harvey. ABC National can be listened via Internet on http://www.abc.net.au/rn/ Up

		Viirus to Croatia No Return, a play by theatre Viirus, is invited to Croatia, to The International Small Scene Theatre Festival, Rijeka, at the end of April. No Return is based on Franz Kafka’s texts, and it is directed by Cezaris, a Lithuanian theatre director. The premiere of the play was in 2005, and it has visited several countries. The festival: http://www.theatrefestival-rijeka.hr/?idc=5&lan=2 Viirus: http://www.viirus.fi Up

		Reality Research Centre to Copenhagen Todellisuuden Tutkimuskeskus (Reality Research Centre) will present LURE – Exhibition of Infinite Possibilities in Copenhagen in April. Reality Research Centre is taking part on a platform called @work. It is an international collaboration between five performing arts groups initiated in 2005. The groups of the project are The Red Room (England), Teatermaskinen (Sweden), Reality Research Center (Finland), TeaterKUNST (Denmark) and Berlin N@twork (Germany). The goal of the @work project is to observe the conditions and meaning of work in five different countries, in cooperation with local organizations (trade unions, labor organizations, researchers, employers etc.) The work has been intense and now it is time for the public to see results. The @work performance platform in Copenhagen will present a large variety of program, from performances to discussions. LURE by Reality Research Centre will have its Finnish premiere in October 2007. http://www.todellisuus.fi/english/ http://www.atworknetwork.org/ Up

		Klockriketeatern in St. Petersburg Klockrike visited Lensoveta Theatre, St. Petersburg, in the beginning of March. The visit generated a contract of continuing cooperation between the two theatres. Lensoveta Theatre will visit Helsinki in the fall 2007. The theatre’s last visit in 2004, with the play Karenin.Anna.Vronskij, was a success. Klockriketeatern played En klänning av snö (A Dress of Snow), written by Tua Forsström. The premiere of the play was in January 2007. En klänning av snö is directed by Kristin Olsoni. http://www.klockrike.fi Up

		Finland-Swedish culture is the theme of the Finnish Days in Estonia The Finnish Embassy in Tallinn will coordinate the VIII Finnish Days in the province of Läänemaa, Estonia June 14-17, mainly at the city of Haapsalu. This year the theme will be the Finland-Swedish culture. (Finland is a bilingual country with a Swedish speaking minority of 5,5 %. Finland-Swedish is a general term for the Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their mother tongue.) The province of Läänemaa is a plausible place this year, because there is a vivid Estonian Swedish culture. Klockriketeatern – a Swedish language theatre in Helsinki – will visit the Finnish days with their play En klänning av Snö (A Dress of Snow). Klockrike will perform in Haapsalu and in Tallinn, and there the venue is the museum of fine arts KUMU. The Embassy http://www.finland.ee Klockriketeatern http://www.klockrike.fi Up

		Smeds Ensemble – a new international theatre group Smeds Ensemble is a new international and networking theatre group, named after its artistic director Kristian Smeds, one of the most profound theatre directors and playwrights in Finland. Aside from theatre, the group also produces movies, radio plays, music, workshops, performances and media art. Co-operation has been planned with major Finnish festivals and theatres, and also various organisations in Brussels, Tallinn, Vilnius, Linz and Budapest. The next major projects of Smeds Ensemble are international co-productions. Kristian Smeds’ Real Asterix lives in Finland will have it’s world premiere early 2009 at the main stage of Belgium’s Flamish national theatre KVS. Smeds’ play Jumala on kauneus (God is Beauty) from 2001 will be re-premiered fall 2008 in Helsinki. During summer 2007 the Ensemble will produce a video documentary of Chekhov’s drama Cherry Orchard at New Drama Action festival in Vilnus, Lithuania. Currently Kristian Smeds’ work can be seen at Von Krahl Theatre, Estonia. He has adapted and directed Chekhov’s The Seagull to an impressive and fierce experience. http://www.smedsensemble.fi/blog/ Up

		Mobile.Home Study report By Richard Polacek available This study was part of a larger project on Mobility in the Performing Arts sector, called Mobile.Home, which ran over the year 2006 and was supported by the European Commission’s DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Project partners were: Finnish Theatre Information Centre, IETM, Pearle*, Goethe-Institut Brussels, Visiting Arts and On-the-move.org. The research took place over a six month period and represents the experience and knowledge of hundreds of professional organisations and individual artists, public administrations in the Member States, relevant representatives of the European Commission, lawyers and other experts. It was discussed and refined in a large European conference (600 participants) in Helsinki in November 2006. Being one of the most mobile sectors in the EU, professionals in the live performance sectors stressed a number of particular problems related to mobility within the European Union of which 4 were identified as being key areas across Europe: - Visa and work permits for third-country live performance workers when touring inside the EU and with an EU live performance organization - Social security issues for employed and self-employed persons - Taxation: double taxation and VAT - Use of intellectual property rights The study contains an analysis of these problems, real life examples and cases, and proposes possible solutions - all wrapped up in a template under Annex 4 - inviting the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States (including their administrations), collecting societies and last but not least cultural actors in the live performance sector to address the above issues. The study can be downloaded on http://www.ietm.org/upload/files/2_20070313142649.pdf Up

		State Prize for Theatre to Laura Jäntti The National Arts Council for Theatre has given out the State Prize for Theatre to theatre director Laura Jäntti. She is an internationally well-known director, a real pioneer of “cultural export” – long before the concept itself was introduced in the colloquial speech. Laura Jäntti’s directions have been showed in several international venues and festivals. She has worked as a visiting director in Germany, Norway, Peru and Tansania, to mention just a few countries. She has been one the three artistic directors of Tampere Theatre Festival. Besides being an established director in small theatre groups and big institutions, Jäntti is an esteemed pedagogue. The State Prize for Theatre, 15 000 euros, is given out annually by The National Arts Council for Theatre. The prize is awarded for a distinguished artistic achievement during the past three years, or for a long and meritorious artistic career. Up

		Raija-Liisa Seilo to Turku City Theatre The executive director of Tampere Theatre Festival, Raija-Liisa Seilo, is appointed to Director of the Theatre to Turku City Theatre from January 1st 2008. She is on study leave for the rest of the year 2007, and the Substitute Executive Director of Tampere Theatre Festival is Hanna Rosendahl. http://www.teatterikesa.fi/ Up

		Upcoming festivals 2007 Cirko Helsinki Contemporary Circus Festival Helsinki, May 3-10 Ruutia! International Dance Festival for children and Young People Helsinki, May 10-13 Kuusankoski International Children's Theatre Festival Kuusankoski, May 15-20 Kuopio Dance Festival Kuopio, June 14-20 Savonlinna Opera Festival Savonlinna, June 29 - July 28 European Women's Theatre Festival Tornio and Haparanda June 7-10 Jyväskylä Arts Festival Jyväskylä, July 11-16 Full Moon Dance Festival Pyhäjärvi, July 24-28 URB07 Helsinki, Aug 1-12 Tampere Theatre Festival Tampere, Aug 6-12 The Helsinki Festival Helsinki, Aug 17 - Sep 2 Lainsuojattomat (Outlaws) Festivaali for Independent Theatre Groups Pori, Sep 5-9 ANTI -Contemporary Art Festival Kuopio, Sep 2.-30 Moving in November Helsinki, Oct 27 - Nov 4 Baltic Circle Helsinki, Nov 16-24 Up

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