It’s no secret that the joy of playing is a great driving force not only in sports, but also in culture. And where to play even more, if not on the stage of the theater! The K. Valdemārs Talsi Theater of the Talsi People’s House with director Jolanta Skujeniecs showed an excellent performance at the regional showcase of the Latvian amateur theater productions “Gada opshane 2023”, obtaining a first degree diploma.
The theater collective staged Aleksandr Vampilov’s one-act play “Incident with a metronome”, starring Andrzej Belēvičs, Inese Akmene, Mikus Krastiņš, Nikola Pecenčukas, Rihards Juškins, Arnis Sūna and Maruta Simsone. The director of the theater says that this was certainly not the case that the play was on the list of favorite works and waiting for its turn to be staged. Something had to be done with the existing theater composition in order to be able to move forward, and it turns out that “The Incident with the metronome” was a very good and commendable choice, which was also appreciated among amateur theaters in Latvia. Jolanta Skujeniece says that the Talsi Theater is currently preparing for the meeting of Latvian amateur theaters in Valka, which is a big event that takes place once every five years. In the midst of all this, the award-winning pearl of the regional showcase of amateur theater productions is also shown to regional theater lovers.
Better than expected
When asked about the concept of metranpaž, which sounds foreign to the ears, Jolanta Skujeniece explains that it is a profession that has gone out of circulation nowadays, namely, a typographer. “Considering that digitalization has now taken place everywhere, we are looking for something to replace this name with, but we did not find anything new. Why can’t the young guy be one of those young people who want to learn this ancient profession? There are, however, historical book presses, and some metropagge must work there, that’s why we kept this name. And in our case, it has even created additional interest. We had already staged another play by Alexander Vampilov earlier. This time we performed a comedy that shows what one person can do to others with his imaginary or real power – how he can manipulate, how he fights with his enemies and makes life unbearable for others. This topic is modern and relevant,” explains the director.
Speaking about her amateur theater team, she says that the number of participants is around 15. “There are some who are so-called retired actors. The time of covid was quite damaging. We staged the play, played it once, but immediately the covid started, so the play did not go to the public at all. Until recently, I received compliments from the theater expert of the National Cultural Center, Dace Vilne, for this performance. Reviving this show is no longer possible because people are getting old. Then there must be a completely different composition and an appropriate age. And our theater has such a moment that young people are leaving us because they are going to study. Consequently, the new show will also stop. And nothing can be done there. Today we will get together and talk about new things, so the theater will have conversations at the table. A new phase begins for us. And there is a question of who will come instead of young people. If the show is ready, then it is easier to plan the performance, but if we are talking about rehearsals, then it is difficult. Everyone already has their own life, work and also other collectives in which they work. You have to try to combine everything. Anyway, we will take this new show to Valka,” says Jolanta Skujeniece, who was hoping for at least second place, but it turned out to be even better. It gives this whole event some much-needed purpose.
An imprint from the times of the folk theater
“If there is a goal and there is a performance, then the collective is capable of going somewhere. At the moment, gather the team to for a few is impossible because there are different interests. There are those who are only interested in playing theater and are indifferent to parties. There are those who need both, but there are those who want a lot of this domestic side, because it is missing. And they cannot accept that there are not so many of them anymore. The older generation remembers the days when you traveled and played 100 shows, but that is all gone. Now is a completely different time. In many collectives, people are getting old and few new ones are coming. And if someone who has played in the theater sits at home, you can’t get him back,” the director shares her experience and reveals that the years of operation of the theater collective she leads are counted from 1959 – on January 19, the 65th anniversary has already arrived.
“We are known as the people’s theater, and no one has had any questions in this regard. But people’s theaters ceased to exist with the Soviet era, and it had other principles, other security, other requirements, there were even state employees. It was a completely different machine. But we are like any other theater in the county right now. The only special thing about our image is that many people think that only those who can play well and have experience can come to us. Yes, that imprint has remained from the folk theater. But we don’t discriminate. We take people who come. We are looking for a suitable role for everyone. Mikus Krastiņš came, and we once had the role of a 16-year-old boy in the play. And that’s how he started playing with us»
says J. Skujeniece.
/Photo: Edgars Lācis/
The play should mostly click
When the director is asked how she chooses a drama work to be staged, she says that she is not at all passionate about reading plays on a daily basis. “When I pick up a play, I immediately think about who could play it. I have two or three plays sitting on the sidelines right now that I can’t pick up because we can’t provide the line-up in terms of eligibility. It is important not to take a play just because you can secure roles. The play should be selected as good material and suitable for the specific actors. I need it so that there is a click on the material, although it was not the case with the meter page (laughs). I have visions of the final result, but all tumors are in the process. I have to see how it looks on stage and go for what I want. I need to see the action on stage so I can choose the final version. I have been here as a director since 2011. Before that, I worked in Lībagu Parish, Dižstende, for a short time in Lauciene”, shares J. Skujeniece.
On the other hand, when asked if the theater is loved and respected in Talsos, she answers in the affirmative, because there is really no shortage of interested people and people in the region like the theater. Theater lovers even travel to other parishes when they know that a performance will be shown there
. “I haven’t felt for a single moment that people didn’t want to watch the theater. Not just us, because they like to watch the performance of the entire team. Of course, these are not all people. These are the ones who believe in amateur theater. The idea of amateur theater is not good for everyone. Some people have such a record in their mind: if it’s an amateur theater, then they are already doing pranks, light-hearted performances, where you can laugh and make fun of them. When you show something else, your mind changes. I won’t say that we have greatly increased our fan base at its expense, but we are not complaining about the approval,»
admits Jolanta Skujeniece.
“To put on a big play, you have to put together the entire composition yourself. As I laugh, I will have a project theater for a specific play. This is generally a good solution. In fact, it is already being pulled towards it. Life and circumstances change, there is a specific show that needs to be assembled. There are theaters that do that. From time to time. Not all participants are always and everywhere. There is some kind of nucleus and the others that reproduce it. I also have a plan to stage a play in accordance with the 65th anniversary of our theater. It will be close to the Latvian heart. A classic with my dramatization. I hope everything will work out. I really want something gorgeous, attractive. It’s like a classic that could become modern, because the problem is already relevant all the time,” the director allows a little peek into the idea.
