Lit Moon Theatre Company
Reimagining the Theatrical Experience
Lit Moon Theatre Company
Reimagining the Theatrical Experience
Friday June 8, through Sturday June 16, 2007
In 2005, Finnish director Mikko Viherjuuri of the Tampere Teatteri, and his associates Riita Seppala and Anneli Kurki of the Finnish Theatre Information Center (TINFO) in Helsinki, began to address a curious situation: there had never been a production of a Finnish play by a professional theatre company in the United States.
To rectify this, Viherjuuri created the Find a Fine Finnish Play program, which sought to promote Finnish plays to a wide variety of American theatres.
That spring, Mr. Viherjuuri toured throughout the western United States, met with directors and artistic directors, and introduced them to the great classical and contemporary drama of Finland.
During that tour, Mr. Viherjuuri met with John Blondell, who fell in love with Laura Ruohonen’s marvelous Queen C and immediately chose to direct it. As plans progressed to stage it in the summer of 2007, John Blondell offered to produce a repertory of contemporary Finnish drama.
From June 8-17, at Santa Barbara’s Center Stage Theater, Lit Moon will host a landmark event that features two fully staged productions, two staged readings, and other events designed to introduce American audiences to the vast riches of Finnish drama.
The repertory is a co-production between TINFO and Lit Moon, and has been generously underwritten by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Cultural Finnish Foundation, the Finnish Ministry of Education, the Finnish Literature Information Center, and the EU Culture 2000 program.
Mr. Viherjuuri will direct Anna Krogerus’s For Sheer Love of Me for the repertory, which will be the first time that a Finnish director stages a play for a United States company.
The repertory also includes staged readings of the plays Panic by Mika Millyahoo and The Finnhorse by Sirkku Peltola and will include famed Finnish actors Irina Bjorklund and Peter Frandsen playing roles in For The Sheer Love of Me.
A variety of Finnish artists will be in attendance, including the playwrights themselves, during the first week of the residency.
This is a remarkable opportunity to learn about another rich theatre culture. Don’t miss this singular Lit Moon event!
Finland is a theatre-loving nation. Of its 5.3 million inhabitants over 3 million attend the theatre.
The network of professional theatres is broad and new groups spring to life all the time. Almost every Finn has acted at one point in his life – the opportunity for that is provided by thousands of amateur groups.
The Finnish Theatre Information Centre TINFO is an organization dedicated to the development of Finland’s professional theatre field by collecting and diffusing information about Finnish theatre.
TINFO is a member of many international networks, organizes international conferences and seminars, and collaborates with festivals. At the core of TINFO’s activities are the promotion of Finnish theatre and Finnish playwriting, and the cultivation of international collaborations.
The Finnish Theatre Information Centre
Meritullinkatu 33A
00170 Helsinki
Finland
www.teatteri.org
+358 9 2511 21 20
Director: Riitta Seppälä
Press and Communications: Anneli Kurki
All performances are at the Center Stage Theater
Friday, June 8
Saturday, June 9
Sunday, June 10
Thursday, June 14
Friday, June 15
Saturday, June 16
Sunday, June 17
Tickets available at the Center Stage Theater Box Office at 805-963-0408 or online at Center Stage Theater.
Tickets for performances are $25 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Tickets for the film, Ambush, are $10. Ticket Packages available for multiple performances. Tickets for staged readings are complimentary.
Back to 2007 Season
Showtimes
except for the screening of Ambush, which is at the
Contemporary Arts Forum
8 p.m. Queen C
11:00 a.m. Panic Staged Reading
2:00 p.m. Queen C
4:00 p.m. Ambush - Special Event!
8:00 p.m. For The Sheer Love Of Me
1:30 p.m. The Finnhorse Staged Reading
4:00 p.m. For Sheer Love of Me
8:00 p.m. Queen C
8:00 p.m. For Sheer Love of Me
8:00 p.m. For Sheer Love of Me
4:00 p.m. Queen C
8:00 p.m. Queen C
4:00 p.m. Queen C Midnight Sun Ticket Information