Projektori Theatre Company

Projektori Theatre Company was founded in 2006 as a young group theatre with a politically and socially motivated artistic programme. The company has set its goal to the making of theater that comments the society around us, theater that is about the people for the people with respect but also with a critical approach - repertory decisions are dictated by a analytical and political view of current trends in society. The group is led by director / writer-in-residence Juha Luukkonen and involves young Finnish actors and technicians such as Martin Bahne, Sinikka Isoniemi, Juho Lukinmaa, Jukka Peltola, Mikko Pörhölä and Hanna Seppä.

Projector Theatre Company's work springs from theatrical adaptations and revivals of classic texts.

JANNE KUUTIO-a crass ideology drama in a non-idealistic Finland, based on Elmer Diktonius novel JANNE KUUTIO opened in Helsinki in 2007. The performance is a somewhat pessimistic view of today's Finland.

Elmer Diktonius (1896-1961) was a Finnish poet and composer compared to Edith Södergran as a reformer of the poetic porukka

expression. Diktonius was exceptionally talented in using the both Finnish languages, Finnish and Swedish. He also borrowed elements from one language to another. With Södergran, Gunnar Björling, Rabbe Enckell and Henry Parland, Diktonius was a member of a new avantgarde school of Swedish-speaking poets, who were interested in experimenting with new ideas and stylistic means. In his lifetime, Diktonius failed to achieve acceptance as a poet read at all levels of society.

JANNE KUUTIO, Diktonius's most important novel, was published in 1932. The expressionistic story depicts a longshoreman, who joins during the Finnish Civil War first the Red Guard, later the winning side of White forces, starts then during Finland's prohibition a career as a romrunner, becomes a fascist sympathizer and a bullyboy, a prematurely aged dockworker and strikebreaker, and finally falls to his death through a ship's cargo hatch. The events are quasi-scholarly commented by the author, who tries to find some sense in the life of the poor protagonist. The elliptic sentences, quick shifts of time and place made the book a pioneer work in the Scandinavian novel.

JANNE KUUTIO-a crass ideology drama in a non-idealistic Finland, written and directed by Juha Luukkonen, is an adaptation of Diktonius's novels JANNE KUUTIO and CITIZENS IN THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND. The play prolongs Diktonius's story and introduces similar contemporary characters; politicians, career-consultants and preachers. The performance is beautiful, ugly, disturbing and mellow.

ELMO-a carnevalistic sports musical, which premiered in 2008, is a joyful story about a vulnerable and sensitive boy from a small Finnish elmo village. Elmo becomes, by accident, the world’s greatest and unbeatable athlete. He is worshipped by the crowds but Elmo himself yearns for a simple and quite life while looking for his true love. He has an old man’s soul in a young man’s body. Perhaps he is destined to be a stranger and outsider in this world.

In Finland, during the surprisingly short history of ours as a civilized nation, we often find ourselves worrying that our great stories have died, as well as our great heroes and events that would bring us all together.

Sports, such as the ice-hockey world championships, ski-jumping, and skiing, have always been a great event that has brought the nation together. Surprisingly, this is a topic that Finnish theater has seldom talked about. This is what we want to change.

Elmo is a performance full of joy and music that varies from rock to opera, from pep songs to ballads, from losses to winnings, the hole scale of emotions that people go through watching sport.

Elmo opened in Helsinki in May 2008 and will tour upon request. Please contact martinbahne<at comes here>hotmail<dot comes here>com. Do not hesitate to ask for more information or performance recordings.

IHMEELLINEN ARMO (spring 2009), based on Ibsen's BRAND, is a story about a man who, powered with his faith in God, overcomes an incurable armo cancer and travels back to his home town to become a preacher. With determination and a strong faith he becomes very popular. The national Church of the people can not accept this and offers him some antagonism. The production is a collaboration between Projektori Theatre Company, Teatteri Takomo and Kansanteatteri.

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