"Long life". The New Riga Theatre
by A.Hermanis
Photo: Jānis Deinats, Fotocentrs
"Long life". The New Riga Theatre
by A.Hermanis
Photo: Jānis Deinats, Fotocentrs
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The New Riga Theatre
The New Riga Theatre (Jaunais Rīgas teātris) is a professional repertory theatre that came on the scene with its very first production in 1992 as a groundbreaker in both form and content. Modern re-workings of the classics and special attention to the trials and tribulations of the people of Latvia are this theatre company’s trademark.
The productions evolve as a joint effort, with the actors studying/researching their fellow man. This method can be compared to documentary film, still, the acting company’s personalities and artistic universality give productions new quality. Theatre for cerebral audiences, it is neither didactic nor escapist, but urges one to share thoughts and experiences. In this quantity, stress and information era, the productions signify humanity, vitality and emotion, and seek the road back to harmony and simplicity.
New Riga Theatre Artistic Director Alvis Hermanis: "As years go by, my views about art are becoming more and more old-fashioned; therefore, I believe that the theatre must be a place where the audience would laugh and cry. And the ultimate level that the actors can achieve is to make the audience do it simultaneously. If a viewer’s lips are smiling, while, at the same time, there are tears in his eyes, it means that the theatre has touched the most fragile matter in this world – the human soul itself.”
The serious approach and keen interest in the Latvian people have attracted droves of local theatregoers, and also the attention of foreign thespians. The company plays an average 490-500 performances a year, and 80-90 of them are at various international theatre festivals.
In recent years, New Riga’s productions have participated at such major festivals as Edinburgh Festival (U.K., 2006), Festival d'Avignon (France,2008) KunstenFestival des Arts (Brussels, Belgium, 2004, 2007), Wiener Festwochen (Vienna, Austria, 2005, 2007) and many others.
New Riga Theatre’s excellence has been recognised internationally as well, with the Hermanis-directed “Inspector General” winning at "Salzburger Festspiele" in 2003, and his “Long Life” taking the "Grand Prix" at BITEF ("Belgrade International Theater Festival") in 2005.
The company has guest performed in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and un Herzegovina, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, US, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Korea and New Zealand.
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