International Festival of Contemporary Theatre
Programme
Tree Opera. The City.
6, 7 September 22.00, Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Optomtry, Zeļļu st. 25 | Free entrance
The opening event of this year’s festival – a miniature opera by a multi-disciplinary Latvian team comprised of composer Anna Ķirse, director and playwright Andris Kalnozols, visual artist Andris Eglītis and architect Austris Mailītis is staged in the tree tops of Riga and invites us to imagine the life of trees from their own perspective.
What would trees have to say if they could speak? Would they complain about the cramped space we leave for their roots or the destruction of their habitat with urban expansion? Most probably, however, they would have nothing to say to us, as they grow high and old – living with their own dialogues and dramas and leaving us in their shadow down below.
About the artist
Before enrolling Rolands Kronlaks composition class at the Latvian Academy of Music in 2013 young Latvian composer Anna Ķirse was known as an independent musician. Today Anna works in both academic and independent fields placing synthesis of academic and electroacustic music in the core of her research and practice, and experimenting with the sound of acoustic instruments and its extension beyond the usual. Currently she is an MA student with Jānis Petraškevičs at the Latvian Academy of Music.
Playwright, director and scriptwriter Andris Kalnozols began his career in professional theatre as a member of legendary Latvian puppet and object theatre company umka.lv, captivating audiences with the existential and funny texts and situations, and his sensitive and subtle performance. Kalnozols is fascinated by life’s triviality and ordinary people, and search for what makes them special.
Andris Eglītis is Latvian painter, visual artist, author of architecturally spatial constructions and set designs. Co-author of Latvian exposition Armpit for La Biennale di Venezia – 56th International Art Exhibition, recipient of Purvitis Prize in visual arts in 2015. Along with numerous personal exhibitions Andris has participated in Kochi-Muziris biennial in India and Coachella festival in the US.
Austris Mailītis is the leading architect of Mailitis Architects. He has received The Latvian Architecture Grand Prix 2017 for Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre in China. Author of the Latvia Pavilion for Shanghai World Expo 2010. Has developed multiple pop-up architecture examples, including Riga – European Capital of Culture 2014 pavilion and summer cafe in Cesis, which simultaneously was architectural solution prototype for the reconstruction of Old brewery in Cesis. The leading architect of Mežaparks Large Open-Air Stage reconstruction.
Credits
Composer: Anna Ķirse
Director and libretist: Andris Kalnozols
Set designers: Andris Eglītis, Austris Mailītis
Light designer: Jūlija Bondarenko
Costume designer: Kristians Aglonietis
Conductor: Artūrs Gailis
Percussions: Aleksandrs Jalaņeckis, Guntars Freibergs, Elvijs Endelis
Singers: Agate Burkina, Zigmārs Grasis
Production: Sandra Lapkovska, Jānis Laucenieks, New Theatre Institute of Latvia
Premiere at alternative music festival Sansusī in 2016
Riga premiere
6, 7
September
22.00
Free entrance
