HOOAEG 2009/2010 - Vanemuine

The coming season draws a round number of 140 before us. Measuring it in the world theatre
standard, it might not be a number worth too much celebration but very much so in the context of
our own theatre: the jubilee of the Vanemuine as the founder marks in essence the jubilee of the
whole Estonian theatre. At the same time, the approaching celebration should help us to better
navigate in the more important terms of the Estonian theatre history: when in 2006 we shouted
out „A hundred years of Estonian theatre!”, we kept in mind the beginning of professional
theatre art, in 2010 we mark the passing of 140 years of national theatre evolution. Therefore
there is more reason to think and talk about the forty years that made ground for the birth of
professional theatre. These traces lead us to the building at Jaama Street 14, the current Song
Festival Museum where on St. John’s Day in 1870 the torch of Estonian theatre was lit from
the sparks of Lydia Koidula’s „Saaremaa onupoeg” (Saaremaa Cousin) and which flames the
following August Wiera theatre era respectively fuelled.
Considering that it seemed natural that the drama season 2009/2010 wants to look towards the
drama foundation of the world and Estonia more than the season before, keeping especially in
mind the authors with notable importance in the Vanemuine history. Thus, such author names
emerged like Shakespeare, Luts, Koidula, Unt. Classics par excellence. If the term „classics
season” does not sound too grand, we could fit under it a large number of other new names
of the season: three children’s stories with a classic’s gold proof, one classical comedy, one
modern treatment of a classical myth, one classical psychological relationship drama. The word
“classic” should not be comprehended here as discoloured academism and dusty verse reading.
The wish of the makers can only be perfectly alive theatre, although the topical themes are
interpreted with the help of the past authors’ writings. We will also be touching the newer drama
this season. In good faith that the British Martin Crimp and the Finn Mika Myllyaho are exactly
the authors who to put on the classics shelf in years to come.
The national theatre jubilee year 2010 on the whole conditions a greater percentage of national
themes and originals can be anticipated also in the second half of the year. On the other hand,
the times also presume international openness: Shakespeare´s „King Richard III” is brought on
stage by Barrie Rutter, a director with an awe striking Shakespeare experience from England.
At the end of the season, exactly at the time of the jubilee day, we are planning to go with
the whole of Vanemuine – in addition to the drama troupe also opera soloists, orchestra and
dance folk – home. To the veritable home of birth. To Jaama Street 14. The building where they
once started and from where the Vanemuine left in 1903 after the large fire that has also been
called as “the most fortunate fire” – for now a practical need to start a new development stage
emerged. We did not need to look far to find the story to play on jubilee night: let it be the same
Koidula’s „Saaremaa onupoeg” (Saaremaa Cousin) that once started it all. Only this time it has
the 140 year-old burden of experiences. We will try to gather these experiences and put them
into practice in the opening play of the national theatre.
The youthful 140-year-old waits for you!
Sven Karja,
Drama Director
Foto: Anton Tarassov
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