,
Arvio
The Human Part – and Ritva Valkama
You would think that a text as ingenious as Kari Hotakainen’s is easy to speak. That his diverse people, who use words that he understands and find themselves in situations that he recognizes, are ready for the stage. That you would take it and present it. But that’s not the case. Hotakainen’s world just cleverly sounds realistic and that’s why it’s so difficult to build. Having seen several Hotakainens in the theatre, I would say that Bronks (1994), mainly by the KOM Theatre and Juha Lehtola, has succeeded in transforming Hotakainen’s world into a sufficiently precise and at the same time lush enough for the stage. Or so it was before yesterday. Because this part of Raila Leppäkoski’s The Human Being, this is an absolutely excellent dramatization, direction, staging and performance. The City Theatre’s Human Part succeeds in the almost impossible. It is warm, humorous, harsh and simple at the same time. As a director, Leppäkoski has, in my opinion, found a warmth that has been lost for some time in his view of humanity. He still simplifies drastically and exaggerates, but on human terms. Thus, Hotakainen’s beautiful story of human courage and love is moving, laughing, startling – in a word, it speaks to us. Leppäkoski will not let us off the hook. Only people are on stage. Different spaces are created – functionally – with lights and a few utensils. The insightful costumes characterize people as if unnoticed. It is not possible to fill an empty stage space with just any text. But Hotakainen’s downright pressure-like concise expression gets air around it in this decision. The viewer can focus on the essentials, on what is at stake. In this story, it really doesn’t matter what colour Salmi’s overcoat is or what kind of curtains Helena’s workplace has. You would think that a text as ingenious as Kari Hotakainen’s is easy to speak. That his diverse people, who use words that he understands and find themselves in situations that he recognizes, are ready for the stage. That you would take it and present it. But that’s not the case. Hotakainen’s world just cleverly sounds realistic and that’s why it’s so difficult to build. Having seen several Hotakainens in the theatre, I would say that Bronks (1994), mainly by the KOM Theatre and Juha Lehtola, has succeeded in transforming Hotakainen’s world into a sufficiently precise and at the same time lush enough for the stage. Or so it was before yesterday. Because this part of Raila Leppäkoski’s The Human Being, this is an absolutely excellent dramatization, direction, staging and performance. The City Theatre’s Human Part succeeds in the almost impossible. It is warm, humorous, harsh and simple at the same time. As a director, Leppäkoski has, in my opinion, found a warmth that has been lost for some time in his view of humanity. He still simplifies drastically and exaggerates, but on human terms. Thus, Hotakainen’s beautiful story of human courage and love is moving, laughing, startling – in a word, it speaks to us. Leppäkoski will not let us off the hook. Only people are on stage. Different spaces are created – functionally – with lights and a few utensils. The insightful costumes characterize people as if unnoticed. It is not possible to fill an empty stage space with just any text. But Hotakainen’s downright pressure-like concise expression gets air around it in this decision. The viewer can focus on the essentials, on what is at stake. In this story, it really doesn’t matter what colour Salmi’s overcoat is or what kind of curtains Helena’s workplace has. Then, of course, there is Ritva Valkama. Nothing needs to be added, nothing needs to be taken away when this artist shapes the third world into his own under the eyes of another artist. The human part is Ritva Valkama’s part. But it is also the case for others. Almost unluckily, Kari-Pekka Toivonen, who plays the sturdy bastards so well, is in a key role; Leena Uotila typifies in such a way that she cries and laughs; Jaakko Saariluoma plays the sensitive Pekka, Sanna-Kaisa Palo the touching Helena. And the young Armi Toivanen, her rebellious Maija, is charming, the most supple performance of the premiere. All a person needs to succeed is the ability to concentrate and imagination. This is what the main character Salme says. It hit and sank into me, a bad focuser. Concentration and imagination. This ensemble has had plenty of them and the result is an enjoyable experience. Full surfaces of the implementation for the entire theatre. This kind of social discussion is also expected by your audience, who cheered and gave a standing ovation to the performance at the premiere. Then, of course, there is Ritva Valkama. Nothing needs to be added, nothing needs to be taken away when this artist shapes the third world into his own under the eyes of another artist. The human part is Ritva Valkama’s part. But it is also the case for others. Almost unluckily, Kari-Pekka Toivonen, who plays the sturdy bastards so well, is in a key role; Leena Uotila typifies in such a way that she cries and laughs; Jaakko Saariluoma plays the sensitive Pekka, Sanna-Kaisa Palo the touching Helena. And the young Armi Toivanen, her rebellious Maija, is charming, the most supple performance of the premiere. All a person needs to succeed is the ability to concentrate and imagination. This is what the main character Salme says. It hit and sank into me, a bad focuser. Concentration and imagination. This ensemble has had plenty of them and the result is an enjoyable experience. Full surfaces of the implementation for the entire theatre. This kind of social discussion is also expected by your audience, who cheered and gave a standing ovation to the performance at the premiere.
Lue lisää
,
Arvio
Regards: Mom In the beginning there is an illuminated chair, a narrator and – love. A mother’s love for her children. People from whom the story economy of our time sucks its profits. One child perseveres, another is marginalized, and a third makes a joke. Helsinki City Theatre’s new play, The Human Part , based on the novel by Kari Hotakainen, delights with its bold adaptation and directional lighting (Raila Leppäkoski). Reading a book does not diminish the stage experience – and vice versa. A satirical play about our paradoxical times. A time where what is more important and interesting than the truth is how things and people are made to sound and look. The mother (Ritva Valkama), a former yarn merchant Salme, is an ordinarily wise folk woman who sells her family’s life story to a writer (Teemu Palosaari) who is languishing due to lack of creativity for 7,000 euros. The fates of Salmi’s adult children (Sanna-Kaisa Palo, Jaakko Saariluoma, Armi Toivanen) are blown up into a brutal kaleidoscope on a stage staged in an otherwise almost dreamlike dark tone. Salme keeps in touch with her children with postcards in which she distributes instructions for a sensible life, and reminds them of a home where food is waiting and love is mercifully blind. Leena Uotila rises to the level of Valkama’s expressive power with her ten exhilarating roles. Also worth seeing is Kari-Pekka Palo’s performance as a cheeky and selfish businessman. At the end, the stage, the audience and – gentleness are darkened. Quietly and without underlining the questions of meaningfulness and meaninglessness of life have been sown in the viewer’s mind. When crying doesn’t help, you have to laugh, and a lot!
Lue lisää
Ei kommentteja