09 maaliskuuta 2020

Behind the Scenes - Finnish National Theatre


These luxury views are from the Main Stage, nearly 700 seats


When you go to theatre, you are excited about the upcoming performance and admire the beautiful settings. Usually you don't give a thought to things behind the scenes - how lights and scenes change, who builds and organizes in the background. I had the opportunity to peek behind the scenes of the Finnish National Theatre. We were a small group who toured the backgrounds of all the four scenes and heard about the upcoming construction project that will take some of the performances to contemporary locations.

Renovation of the National Theatre is scheduled to begin this spring. The Small Stage and Willensauna will be evacuated till 2023. During the renovation, the theatre will operate normally on the Main Stage and the Omapohja Studio.





Our group in the labyrinthine and messy narrow gangways and stairs was well guided by stage assistant Tuomas Wellamo, the mustached gentleman in the picture. Thank you! Behind the curtain there was a rattling-looking rope battery, which is manually pulled to raise and lower the prop fabrics. With the renovation, this physical work will change into a push of buttons as almost everything shall be digitized. The spaces were full of stuff, wires, and certainly also dust, not suitable for an asthmatic at all. The actors had to change their outfits in shockingly small corners - but everything seemed to work great and the stage assistants keep an eye on everything. Amazing!


The sisters, Karin Pacius as Kristiina and Paula Siimes as Ulriika - brilliant performances!

Finally, we watched Mika Waltari's classic play Gabriel in Willensauna, which has 154 seats. This comic study of human frailty and vanity dates back to 1945. Two elderly sisters fall prey to the handsome Gabriel’s charms, only to discover he is not what he seems. But despite all his cunning, Gabriel meets his match in the women’s niece, who has her own agenda. This nostalgic, yet ever poignant, comedy was fun and hilarious and the actors were brilliant. Scene photos: Mitro Härkönen


Minttu Mustakallio as young self-willed Raili and Sampo Sarkola as seductive Gabriel


There was plenty of yearning of love!


The Finnish National Theatre, founded in 1872, is the oldest Finnish-language professional theatre in the country. and is located besides the Railway Station in the centre. Finland was then part of the Russian Empire, and the country’s intellectual elite was Swedish speaking. Finnish language and art, including theatre, became the cornerstones of a cultural movement which began in the 1860’s and eventually led to national independence in 1917.


Olavi Virta (1915-1972) was one of Finland's most popular singers.
I love you as if I were out of my mind.


❤︎❤︎❤︎

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14 kommenttia:

  1. ...The Finnish National Theater was built when people built beautiful things! Thanks Riitta for sharing this lovely place.

    VastaaPoista
  2. Thanks for this interesting post. The theatre is very beautiful.

    VastaaPoista
  3. Guten Morgen, liebe Riitta! Was für ein prächtiges Theater, es ist ein besonders schönes Bauwerk. Da würde ich zu gerne einmal eine Aufführung miterleben wollen. Auch wenn es mit Sicherheit auf Finnisch gesprochen werden würde - aus Erfahrung weiß ich, dass die Theateratmosphäre so mitreißend sein kann, dass man alles versteht...

    ...happy MosaicMonday, liebe Grüße von Heidrun

    VastaaPoista
  4. Thank you, dear Riitta,
    for this wonderful impressions of the Finnish Theatre.
    Have a good start in the new week,
    warm greetings
    moni

    VastaaPoista
  5. So many beautiful details! Amazing! And how nice to see such good performances in a lovely place!

    VastaaPoista
  6. Reminds me of my childhood - as a little ballet girl I often was behind the stage...
    Send you spring sun for a fantastic new week

    VastaaPoista
  7. Beautiful ceiling piece! Love the expressiveness in "The sisters!" In the beginnings of my painting for an audience I did it in this environment, that had been the home of the philharmonic orchestra in Pasadena, CA for years. Since I was standing on the platform, I know a little about staging, etc.- a very world of it's own, and never getting paid enough for it! Many thanks Riitta for acquainting All Seasons with the theater world in an understandable way!It sounds you like the play you saw:) Have a grand week! Jesh

    VastaaPoista
  8. Riitta - historic theaters have a special corner of my heart since Detroit and Cleveland, two places we called home, have glorious theaters that have been well-preserved. Since our daughter is a Stage Manager, I smiled knowingly at your description of the dust and tight corners backstage. We have seen many such places! It certainly does not seem to have affected their ability to put on amazing performances! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!

    VastaaPoista
  9. Thanks for sharing these special moment and look behind the scene with us. Must be very interesting, and than in such a beautiful theatre. Just wish to have a peak by myself^^

    Greetings

    N☼va

    VastaaPoista
  10. Beautiful theater! When i was a child, my aunt was an actress. I spent a week with her in New York and got to watch My Fair Lady from backstage twice! (She played the "Queen of Transylvania.") The stage revolved on a big lazy susan and sets could appear very quickly.

    VastaaPoista
  11. what a wonderful interesting posting of this theater and scenes, fascinating photos!
    Greetings Elke

    VastaaPoista
  12. Muy bonito el teatro. Un beso.

    VastaaPoista
  13. What a gorgeous performance hall!

    VastaaPoista

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