Review: Kiertopalkinto
WHEN A MAN SWITCHES TO A YOUNGER ONE, WHO WINS IN THE END?
In Ester Vilar’s play, jealousy makes any woman scream, regardless of age.
Born in Argentina in 1935, writer Ester Vilar is known for her ideas that women exploit men. Vilar, who wrote in German, lived in Germany, but was forced to leave there because of his supposedly sexist and fascist opinions.
The play, which was first published as a novel, Kiertodíj (Eifersucht = jealousy), has been performed all over Europe. The trio of women, familiar from the Swedish version of the Helsinki City Theatre, now performs it in Finnish: Leena Uotila is Helen, a 55-year-old lawyer whose husband swaps for a younger 40-year-old architect, Yana, played by Jonna Järnefelt . Yana is taken away by Cecilia Paul’s 25-year-old Iiris, a student and yoga teacher.
Raila Leppäkoski’s direction shows how a woman invariably humiliates herself when she is abandoned. When a man leaves, self-esteem fails and the howling begins.
Helen, the ruling wife, crushes her husband’s love at the beginning of the sceptic with her expression alone. But when the truth is revealed, the fall is drastic. Leena Uotila’s confusing vocal performance is reminiscent of the hoarse roar of an old lioness. The change from a restrained lady to an old rascal, tearing her hair, is admirable.
The self-confident forty-year-old Yana lasts just as long as a much younger competitor appears on the scene. Jonna Järnefelt is very convincing in her harrowing wriggling from the couch to the floor and back again, and shocks for a moment, even though the humor of the situation takes the scene to the tragicomic side.
Iris is a cute representative of the new generation, whose ethereal smile of peace crushes older women. It’s a little doubtful that a 25-year-old would be so naïve, but on the other hand, they are older and, according to their claims, wiser. Also a Buddhist screams when a man tired of tantric sex leaves.
The outcome of the battle? The youngest is the most vulnerable and the oldest is the strongest. Although it seems that the man chooses the woman, the man still has a supporting role. He is not allowed to say anything, but he is recycled, talked about and his qualities are analysed. A man has been made an object and you don’t even have to be happy with him. The parts have changed.
Sociologist Henry Laasanen , quoted in the programme, explains men’s behaviour with market values: the younger the woman, the higher the market value. And because the man is guided by biology, he is freed from moral responsibility. The women are left to fight with each other over something that could be the pursuit of love and happiness, the fear of being left alone or the sheer desire for power.
Vilar testifies In favor of Laasanen’s theory through Helen’s mouth: Of course, women would also switch to a younger man if they could. Who would want to spend half their life in a huge mass grave of women who have become redundant and are too old!
Even if you don’t subscribe to the theory of women’s sexual power, Vilar’s text is enjoyable to hear. The conversation moves at a frantic pace and sharp and pertinent remarks about the relationship fly like fireworks. Uotila, Järnefelt and Paul offer a show that you can’t help but laugh at and whose perspectives require you to take a stand. The performance is only in the programme until 4.10, so hurry up.