Guest Feature: On independent theatres in Latvia

by Inga Fridrihsone

The omniscient online encyclopedia says that glasses are a construction worn in front of the eyes, mostly used as an optical supplementary aid for vision disorder correction. They are used for therapeutic, diagnostic and experimental purposes, as well as a protective device against external impact, wounding, or irritation. And let’s not forget, they also hold a significant value in the world of fashion.

There are sole glasses on the theatre scene of Riga. You can find them strolling down the ?ertr?de’s Street until you reach the courtyard of a former factory and your eye catches a sign that says “Gertrude Street Theatre”. The letter “G” is transformed into glasses – the logo of the theatre.

Adjust Restrictions of a Vision Gertrude Street Theatre (GST) is one of the two (still very young) open stage theatres in Latvia. It was opened in the autumn of 2009 with Männersache (Men’s Affair in German), the physical theatre performance produced by the off-theatre group United Intimacy. At the same time, GST began a partnership with independent association Nomadi to develop the former assembly hall for cultural events for the factory workers into a platform for performance by independent theatres, and other similar initiatives.

Take a look back to the recent past, it’s noticeable how the expressive, emotionally saturated performance of Men’s Affair seems to be an introductory manifestation of the glasses of Gertrude. It began with an announcement to create and stage performances of various genres and contemporary art aesthetics. Particular attention is paid to stagings where the human body holds the main role as a personifier and bearer of an idea; there are several physical theatre plays, dance performances and object-theatre performances in GST. The project also outlines the interdisciplinary and international circle of collaborations the theatre envisages and is able to work as part of. Its choreographer after all is Branko Poto?an, a Slovenian choreographer and dancer who has been a member of Wim Vandekeybus’s group Ultima Vez for some years. It’s also important to underline that the show Männersache is mainly memorized as a perpetual collision of converse forces and emotions; a show of contrasts of harshness and softness of friendship and existence. This characterizes the journey GST embarked on in 2009, when the theatre extended its space to another room on the second floor and developed its experience working on successful projects and initiatives, expanding on its audience and patrons.

On the one hand the theatre as an initiative originated from enthusiasm, which provided a strong foundation- all of GST’s staff are employed by other institutions; there is only one permanent full time staff member whilst the others are volunteers. This is perceived not only in the performances but also in the theatre’s other creative endeavors. For example, the 2010 season opened with Complaints Choir. Anyone could participate by handing in a complaint, which then was then transformed into poetry- from lament to song- then performed in a number of places around the city for the White Night Festival.

Meanwhile, continuous difficulties present themselves to independent theatres in Latvia, still in an unenviable position based on natural struggles of growth and formation. These are based on delusive paths and bypasses of a new experimental theatre. This not is not the case that every venture introduces essential innovations, or is evaluated is an undoubtedly successful initiative; but the nature of the performances which represent the development of the theatres has a greater effect on the mechanisms of this field in Latvia than established theatre plays do. This is also partly due to “the young guard”, the creatives behind GST performances- mostly young directors who have recently graduated from the Academy of Culture, or are about to. The Academy is the only higher education establishment in Latvia that provides tutoring to directors.

Finally almost one year later, in spring 2010, the performance Männersache demonstrated how inconvenient and odd it is to think in categories, particularly if those categories are made for categorizing works of art, sidetracking from the core of the case. Nominees of the Latvian theatre prize were announced in spring. The expert commission critically acclaimed the show, yet the rules of the prize declare that only “performances of dramatic theatre” can participate in the contest. Performances not fitting the frame are being marginalized because there is no frame for them. This question will arise again and again. The origins of these new theatrical landscapes and the arrival of a new generation of directors means more and more shows in Latvia don’t fit the established frame.

The shows and activities of GST as well as the occasional performances implicitly but permanently provoke consideration of restrictions of vision - what is the notion of theatre, what kind of alternative administrative forms are possible for creating one, what is permitted or forbidden to talk about and how we can begin to talk about it.

Protective Device against External Idleness

The idle cultural policies regarding independent theatres is a subject that keeps appearing again and again since the nineties, yet there have been only a few actual attempts to improve the situation. The formation, existence and status of independent theatres in Latvia is still complicated when compared with other Western European or neighboring Baltic countries. To date there are no free stages permanently supported by the state. GST manages to stay afloat and remain on the premises by fundraising and venue hires.

In 2010 the seven repertoire theatres of Latvia were funded by the state with 6 millions EUR, while all of the project contests for independent theatres were granted70,5 thousand EUR altogether. There is still a lack of comprehension that an independent theatre is not the same as a repertoire theatre – instead, there is the prejudice that quality is measured by commercial success and eventually, a season of work is a rep theatre.

On the other hand, this movement needs to be strong enough ‘underground’ in order to surface above it. The establishment of new premises for performances during the last couple of years stipulates that movement from beneath is indeed alive and kicking. Maija Pavlova, the manager and producer of GST, reports that in year 2010, eighty-five shows and ten other events have taken place in GST alone, attracting almost 6000 viewers altogether. The theatres are bringing in more and more audiences, making an impact on the public scene. This means it will be harder and harder to ignore these activities that offer administrative and creative alternatives to rep theatres.

Diagnostic Intentions

One of the essential parts of the GST concept is to stimulate dialogue for an immediate connection with surroundings, audience and society. Art is perceived as a door that opens a field for thought and asks questions rather than gives answers. The most distinctive show performed in the GST is the psychical theatre performance Sarah Kane, created by the director M?rti?š Eihe (Nomadi). The participants are musician Edgars Rubenis, choreographer and dancer Krist?ne Borodina and actor Aigars Apinis. Sarah Kane is inspired by the works and life of infamous, young English playwright. The show is an explosion of associations without any linear narrative, expressed in an almost entirely visual and physical language through the motion and rumble of electronic music. This is a show about you and ‘the other’ within, who is raging, destroying and aggressively attacking and choking you. It talks about softness that grows into harshness and presence that becomes tormenting and unbearable. Sarah Kane is not only the first Latvian performance based on her works, but it also carries an energy uncharacteristic of Latvian theatre and a rarely experienced presence of the performers on stage.

The lecture-performance Why I Love Russians is another show by Nomadi. It focuses on Latvians not Russians. It gives the foregin residing lecturer’s view on the sad “singing and drinking nation”. Latvian traditions and spooning around the historical role of a victim become the object of irony. The lecturer’s vulgarity and irony towards Latvians has created discussions between audience and performers and polemics between theatre reviewer Dita Egl?te and Krista Bur?ne, one of the authors of the show. The reviewer believes the lecturer and artists share the same opinion: simplified and trivial. But this simplified opinion is exactly the basis of a conversation that audience is asked to participate in after the show. The focus is on self-irony, which gives no “productivity”, where indifference leads to a dead end- “What am I supposed to do here after all…” The show is a reflection of Latvians’ opinion of their own race, the maturity of a nation and an invitation to ponder about issues of identity beyond a simplified overview.

There is a Latvian saying: “speaking is silver, silence is gold”. Every provoked discussion seems to be a small achievement in the context of Latvians’ taciturnity. After a year and a half of action, GST’s special character starts to crystallize – on the one hand it is the formerly mentioned encouragement of artistic diversity. On the other hand, it is an open meeting place. Sometimes all you need is a psychical space and invitation to speak up in order to facilitate constructive conversations and to create constructive decisions. By the way, there are no wings in the GST – an open stage, an open space and dialogue.

Gertrude Street Theatre www.git.lv