The wild and raw energy of young actors
The year is 1935, Los Angeles. Robert and Gloria, who have recently met each other, decide to take part in a competition where the participants dance for as long as they can and the last couple standing wins. Young people dreaming of a career in film hope to attract the attention of talent scouts in the field – and, of course, win money.
“It’s an extreme, brutal endurance race. People who just want to get food and a roof over their heads are faced with an impossible task when fighting for a cash prize,” says director Heidi Räsänen.
Competitions depicted in marathon dances were popular in the 1930s in the United States. The country was hit by a recession and most people’s lives were poor and miserable. The contestants were ready to dance for days and weeks, even though the chance of winning was non-existent.
Marathon Dances is based on Horace McCoy’s 1935 novel They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?.
MARATHON DANCES tested the mental and physical limits of the participants, but also entertained the spectators. “Very quickly, the image of a reality TV competition, the Hunger Games or the gladiators of antiquity arises,” Räsänen says.
“Some things remain unchanged. In the spirit of the game, in the fact that people are tired, and are selected for the next round, quite a few of the structures of society related to the use of individuals are still reflected today.”
The themes of the marathon dances highlight dreaming, hopelessness and survival instincts. Räsänen says that when making the performance, she thought a lot about the shattering of the self and the feeling of worthlessness.
“What happens to a person and his psyche when he is subjected to such a strain? What has to happen for a person to be driven to the point where he wishes to die?”
Although the reality of the play is brutal, it is also important for Räsänen to nurture hopefulness.
“We all know that the world is harsh and evil. There is no need to proclaim such a thing. What evokes compassion and identification in us is the reason why we come to see performances,” he says.
Räsänen says that a tragicomic approach is typical of his directing. “Darkness and playfulness are present in this performance as well.”
Part of the play on stage is that the main characters Robert and Gloria are played by all 12 actors in turn.
IN THE drama about endurance performance, movement naturally plays a major role.
“When people are shown on stage for weeks in a state of extreme exhaustion, it is not enough to run in circles on stage and get more and more tired because of it. It is a meaningful challenge how to raise realism,” Räsänen says.
Physical performances also take a toll on the actors. “Everything is deliberately put on the line here, but that’s to be expected from these actors,” Räsänen says.
As a director, she finds it delicious how a performance can channel the pure, wild and raw energy of young performers.
“The hunger and strength that Marathon Dances require seems to be in them in a state of readiness. It’s worth coming to see because of the adaptation of the classic and the young actors.”
Text by Ida Henritius.