International Festival of Contemporary Theatre
Programme
The Success Story
12 November 13.00, Latvian National Theatre | 12 Eur
Director Valters Sīlis and dramaturg Jānis Balodis are two young Latvian theatre artists whose work regularly deals with the issues of current socio-political situation and climate change on local and global level. In their previous collaborations they have addressed the institution of presidency in Latvia, the bureaucratic absurdity of the leading state document, visited the borders of Eastern Europe as it is in 2015, looked into the consequences of the pollution of a small local river and melting ice in Antarctica, delivering witty and personal comment on the effects of decision-making on everyday reality in Latvia and globally.
In The Success Story they once again investigate the events of the contemporary Latvian history, delivering an engaging and ironic piece that challenges the official success story of the rescue of Latvian economy between 2008 and 2010.
About artist
Valters Sīlis graduated in stage directing at the Latvian Academy of Culture in 2010. He works both in small independent theatres (Dirty Deal teatro, Theatre “Ģertrūdes ielas teātris”) and on the big stage of the National Theatre. Still early in his artistic career, in just one year Valters Sīlis staged three works in three different theatres that focused on painful and embarrassing events in Latvia’s history, showing an approach that was free of stereotyping, slightly grotesque and always inquisitive. He has kept this interest in the critical moments in historical perspective but also turning attention to current social and ecological issues. Valters Sīlis has been nominated several times for the Latvian Theatre award as the Best Director. He has staged productions also in Lithuania, Italy and Finland.
Jānis Balodis is a dramaturg associated with the independent venue Dirty Deal Teatro in Riga. He has co-created several performances with director Valters Sīlis, including “National Development Plan” (2012) where he made his first solo stage appearance. Jānis also initiated and was one of the authors in the project “War Notes” in Dirty Deal Teatro in 2014-2015, a series of stage readings of new texts by young Latvian dramaturgs and directors as a reaction to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Credits
Director: Valters Sīlis
Dramaturg: Jānis Balodis
Performers: Daiga Gaismiņa, Uldis Siliņš, Jānis Vimba, Romāns Bargais, Jānis Balodis
Set and costume designer: Uģis Bērziņš
Light designer: Jānis Sniķers
Producer: National Theatre of Latvia
Co-produced by the New Theatre Institute of Latvia via Imagine 2020 network and with the support of EU programme Creative Europe
12
November
13.00
12
Eur
