Haide Männamäe says actors must keep the joy of play alive

Estonian actors Haide Männamäe and Toomas Tross say theatre endures as long as people want to communicate and share experiences. The couple spoke to ERR about their new production, “Romeo & Juliet and Love No. 2.”

The play, written and directed by Latvian director Lauris Gundars, reached audiences this week at Piip ja Tuut Theatre. Männamäe said the story is both about Romeo and Juliet and about her and Tross. “Romeo and Juliet is the starting point from which everything begins,” she said.

The production also explores the meaning of love. “We try to unpack what love is in this story. Or at least we ask questions and look for answers,” Tross said.

Männamäe and Tross have been together for more than 33 years. She said one reason their relationship has lasted is that they are always together. “Honestly, we don’t know how to be any other way,” she said.

The pair first met Gundars years ago at a theatre festival in Lithuania. Their first production together, “Piip ja Tuut. Hamlet,” reached audiences in 2016. Männamäe recalled that Gundars was drawn to their direct communication with the audience, which he felt echoed how theatre was made in Shakespeare’s time.

The couple’s daughter, Emma Tross, is also pursuing theatre and started at a drama school this autumn. Her parents have not discouraged her from becoming an actor, though they know it can be difficult. Männamäe said they hope she will not lose the joy of performing: “We go on stage to play. It’s such a wonderful thing. You mustn’t forget the joy and beauty of play.”