Purje selects three summer theatre productions

In an ERR theatre commentary, critic Pille-Riin Purje said she saw 20 new summer productions in 24 performances between June and August, and selected three for particular mention.

She also attended six stimulating performances at Baltoscandal and a film, the Wagner opera Das Rheingold, the first part of Der Ring des Nibelungen, at the Saaremaa Opera Days, as well as a symposium day and evening programme at Saueaugu Theatre Farm. She noted that some productions widely considered important remained unseen, as it is impossible, and unnecessary, to reach everywhere.

Purje said ranking the productions would be inappropriate because a large summer musical cannot easily be compared with an intimate production, whether staged indoors or outdoors. Smaller forms, she added, often come closer to the heart.

Her first choice was Vargamäe valvur, directed by Vallo Kirs and staged by Nuutrum Theatre at Vargamäe. The production features Ülle Lichtfeldt, Rait Õunapuu, Jane Napp and Märten Matsu. Purje said the play awakened tender memories and memories of memories, and posed a quiz question about when Sauna-Madis dies in A. H. Tammsaare’s Truth and Justice, asking in which part and on which page.

The second was Viimane rong, written and directed by Urmas Lennuk in Avinurme. Purje described it as one of the quieter productions of the summer, despite being staged outdoors, and praised the performances of Jaune Kimmel, Märt Avandi and Margus Tabor. She said the play dealt with memories, longing, meetings and departures.

Her third selection was Ugala Theatre’s Lühem kui elu, which portrayed a farewell to the old hospital in Viljandi. The production was created by dramaturgs Maarja Moor and Aare Pilv, artist-director Joel Väli, and dramaturg-director Priit Põldma. An eight-member ensemble and the Viljandi Chamber Choir also took part.

Purje called the farewell large-scale because of the hospital’s vast size, with four audience groups moving and stopping there simultaneously. At the same time, she described it as quiet, personal and heartfelt, touching delicately on fundamental themes of life and the human soul.

She said Lühem kui elu stood out through its coherence and its balance between intimate recognition and deep human generalisation. All three productions, she wrote, reflect and remember, protect the human being and leave the viewer feeling more whole.