The market square, full of bright colors, surrounds the latest performances of the Valmiera Theater “Tu saki?” events in the art space “Kurtuve”. The director Inese Mičule has adapted this show based on the motives of Vizma Belševica’s collection of stories “Unhappiness at home”, giving the audience the opportunity to forget a little in black humor.
The characters created by Vizma Belševica in 1979 in the collection of stories “Misfortune in the House” are somewhat mystical, but at the same time truly human. The director of the show, Inese Michule, states that by staging these stories, she wanted to let the audience enjoy the magic of the theater and leisurely rest. “So it happened that Belševiča’s stories fell into my lap quite by accident. I was surprised how much Belševiča’s stories are actually unknown to me as well. Reading one after the other, it seemed, why not create something light, but at the same time, as Vizma Belševica writes, with a very sharp look at human nature, both externally and internally, both being and not being.”
One of the stories is about dull Pauline and her sister. Many certainly remember it from the movie. Also in the show, the dull Paliné wants to see if the dying girl’s fall in the coffin will be quite good. Michule: “We grew up with the dull Pauline’s film, which is a short film and was a thesis. It is an iconic work for us, so there is something different here, and I hope that the audience will see the “other” already with modern eyes, modern techniques, feel the same joy that this film reminds them of.”
Marta Skapste is also active there, who after her fictitious divorce from Jēkab Skostaņas believes that they have twice as many mandas. But Andelei saw the most beautiful flowers in the Burbekišiša cemetery at the market. Actress Elīna Vāne gets into her character. “It’s the second time I’ve worked with Belšević, because the first was the movie Bille. Here I am a wonderful alcoholic, a little different than Vizma Belševica wrote in the book, because in our story we fall in love, so I can’t be like Belševica wrote.”
“Poet, you won’t hear a single line of poetry from me, if only a little Shakespeare, but let the audience look for that later,” says Valmiera theater actor Ęirts Rāviņš.
Valmiera theater actor Rihards Yakovels: “I am in love with Inspector Kukans, who finally comes to his senses and confesses his feelings.”
And in the middle of it all, the director is also looking for answers to Hamlet’s age-old question[tobeornottobe?-ed}[būtvainebūt?-red}
The magnificent stage design, reminiscent of both a market square and a little bit of a cemetery, was created by scenographer Mārtiņš Vilkārsis, while costume designer Ilze Vītoliņa created bright costumes for the actors.
Kārlis Freimanis helped the director Inese Muchula dramatize Belševica’s stories, while the musical design for the play was created by the musician Edgars Šubrovskis.
