WORK IN PROGRESS: CHERRY ORCHARD INSTALLATION
Smeds Ensemble (Finland)

SAT 21st November 4 pm
SUN 22nd November 4 pm

Universum
Perämiehenkatu 13

TICKETS: free of charge
DURATION: approx. 1 h 30 min

Installation is in Lithuanian, translated in Finnish

VIDEOINSTALLATION BY: Ville Hyvönen

DIRECTED BY: Kristian Smeds

SCENOGRAPHY BY: Jūratė Paulėkaitė

CAST: Vytautas Anužis, Aldona Bendoriūtė, Juozas Budraitis, Paulius Budraitis, Dainius Gavenonis, Irina Lavrinovič, Virginija Kelmelytė, Gytis Padegimas, Rasa Samuolytė, Benas Šarka, Jonas Vaitkus

PREMIERE WAS: 9th September 2009

During the Soviet regime, theatre professionals took up the voice of truth about the time and society confronting the censorship in Vilnius. In summer 2009, Kristian Smeds invited some of the main theatre personalities of both that period and of the new generation to take part in The Cherry Orchard, a project dealing with fundamental changes in the position of theatre in the last 20 years.

The Cherry Orchard is an experiment that combines drama play reading and a process-like documentary film. During the rehearsal and video-shooting period in Vilnius, the whole working process was documented and transformed into a video installation that reflects upon contemporary European theatre on a profound level. The Cherry Orchard was premiered as a live performance on September 9th, 2009 in Vilnius. The video installation now seen at the Baltic Circle Festival is both a part of the project as well as a making of it.

Smeds Ensemble is a new international and networking theatre group, founded in 2007 and named after its artistic director Kristian Smeds, one of the most acknowledged theatre directors and playwrights in Finland. Smeds Ensemble is a production unit which functions as a meeting forum for Finnish and international artists, and works in a widening field of arts. Aside from theatre, the group also produces movies, radio plays, music, workshops, performances and media art. The first international theatre group from Finland open-mindedly seeks for new forms and practices on the stage.

CONTACT INFORMATION

wwww.smedsensemble.fi

SUPPORTED BY

The City of Helsinki

BALTIC CIRCLE
c/o Q-teatteri, Tunturikatu 16, FIN-00100 Helsinki, Finland
fax +358-(0)9-4542 1312; e-mail baltic.circle@Q-teatteri.fi