LEGIONNAIRES. Discusssion with fight
Director: Valters Sīlis
Scenography and costume design: Ieva Kauliņa
Lights: Māra Jarovoja
Dramaturgy: Carl Alm (Suomija), Ieva Kauliņa, Kārlis Krūmiņš, Valters Sīlis
Cast: Carl Alm, Kārlis Krūmiņš
Premiere
September 14th, 2011
Duration
2 hours without an intermission
Language
Main – English, in episodes – Latvian, Swedish, German, Finnish. No translation.
Performance was created with financial support from Riga Council and Latvian State Culture Foundation.
Legionnaires by the energetic Ģertrūdes ielas teātris has caused quite a fuss both in Latvia and theatre festivals around the world. Moreover, the dramaturgy conceived by the working group was awarded the best Latvian play manuscript of the year.
During World War II, a number of Latvian men were forcibly recruited by the Nazi German army to form a so-called Latvian legion. Many of them fled to Sweden. After the war the Soviet Union made demands on the Swedish Parliament for their extradition.
The themes of responsibility and decision-making which emerge from the painful and still silenced issue remain topical.
Finland-Swede Carl Alm and Latvian Kārlis Krūmiņš treat the subject in an honest and at times even brusque manner, as well as invite the audience to join them in remaking the historic decisions. The performance grabs onto the very core of individual responsibility.
Legionnaires will flow effortlessly in English, Latvian, Finnish, Swedish and German with no need for subtitles.
About creative team:
Valters Sīlis (1985) graduated in stage directing at the Latvian Academy of Culture in 2010 and gained a wide attention in 2011 when he had staged three performances in three different theatres in Latvia that focused on painful and embarrassing events in Latvia’s history and demonstrated his approach being free of stereotyping, deeply human and unexpectedly funny. At present Valters Sīlis stages Latvian classics and world’s contemporary plays in the Latvian National theatre and also continues to test and push his skills as director and performer on smaller stages of independent theatres.
Carl Alm (1981) graduated in acting at the Theatre Academy of Finland in 2010. In his homecountry Finland Carl has gained a reputation of ‘actor in foreign lands’ – for now he is based in small city in Finland, Kokkola, while his international career includes working as a freelancer in Germany where he played Josef K in “The Trial” (Der Prozess) at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus during season 2012/2013 and he is co-author and actor in performance „Legionnaires” (2011) which is still in active theatre’s repertoire at Ģertrūdes ielas teātris, Latvia.
Kārlis Krūmiņš (1986) graduated in stage directing at the Latvian Academy of Culture in 2011 and since then with equal energy shapes his skills both as stage director and actor. Being among those Latvian artists who has decided upon career of a freelance professional he has worked in different theatres, both state and independent scenes, in Latvia and his current engagements are staging new piece at Dirty Deal Teatro and playing in Ģertrūdes ielas teātris, Latvian National Theatre and Riga Russian Drama Theatre.
Ieva Kauliņa (1979) graduated Department of Scenography at The Academy of Arts in 2004 and is one of the most talented and experienced young scenographers in Latvia. Ieva has worked in all theatres in Latvia, including The Latvian National Opera, has collaborated with stage directors of different generations and explores the new horizons by engaging herself in new international projects.