This year, the theatre festival Draama will take place in Tartu from September 1st to 8th, and the program has been put together by festival creative council members Hedi-Liis Toome, Liisi Aibel, Karin Allik and Meelis Oidsalu.
This year, the festival program includes the Estonian Drama Theatre’s “Teoreem / Theorem” (directed by Juhan Ulfsak), Von Krahl and the Estonian Music and Theatre Academy’s “Ei usu! / I don’t believe it!” (dir. Juhan Ulfsak), Theatrum’s “Mõõt mõõdu vastu / Measure for Measure” (dir. Lembit Peterson), Tartu New Theatre’s “Mis saab siis, kui meid enam ei ole? / What happens when we’re gone?” (dir. Kirill Havanski), “Fun Fact” produced by Kanuti Gildi SAAL (authors Branko Jordan, Katarina Stegnar, Primož Bezjak, Mart Kangro, Juhan Ulfsak, Eero Epner), Expedition project “Reis metsa lõppu / Journey to the end of the forest” (dir. Lauri Lagle), Must Kast Theatre’s “Lilli” (directed by Kaija M. Külm), Vaba Lava and Kyiv Dramaturgs Theatre’s “(elu) sunnitud valikud / (Life) Forced Choices” (directed by Valters Silis), Theatre Vanemuine “Sada grammi taevasina / One Hundred Grams of Sky Blue” (directed by Urmas Vadi), Russian Theatre “Kolmanda impeeriumi hirm ja viletsus / Fear and Misery of the Third Empire” (directed by Timofey Kulyabin) and “Tädi Õie 65. sünnipäev / Aunt Õie’s 65th Birthday” (directed by Urmas Lüüs) produced by Kanuti Gildi SAAL. This year, the extra program of the drama includes “Tundmatute asjade mets / The Forest of Unknown Things” of Tartu New Theatre (directed by Andreas Aadel). The meta-program of the festival includes several book presentations and post-performance discussions, as well as many other exciting things.
This time, the festival headquarters is located at the Tartu German Culture Institute at the address Kastani 1, where during the festival, from September 2nd to 7th the centre for Estonian dramaturgy Äratundmishetkede Maja / the House of Known Unknowns is open. An interactive exhibition created in cooperation between the Estonian Theatre Agency and the artist Illimar Vihmar has been open in the building for a whole week, where you can also find a pop-up library of plays. In the second half of the week, a unique play reading marathon will take place in the House of Known Unknowns, where ten directors will each have three Estonian plays at their disposal, from which they can put together their own interpretation. Everyone has their own theme where the story should fit.
Kolm rahalugu / Three money stories – Gildas Aleksa (Lithuania)
Kolm naist / Three Women – Maria Peterson
Kolm minekut / Three departures – Birgit Landberg
Kolm tulekut / Three arrivals – Ivar Põllu
Kolm kirjanikku / Three writers – Kaili Viidas
Kolm lugu vabadusest / Three stories about freedom – Johan Elm
Kolm eesti kunsti Euroopasse viimise lugu / Three stories of bringing Estonian art to Europe – Karl Koppelmaa
Kolm kasvuvalulugu / Three stories of growing-up-pains- David Sandqvist (Finland)
Kolm lugu neljast kuningast / Three stories about four kings – Liis Aedmaa
Kolm enese ärakaotamise lugu / Three stories of losing yourself – Elise Metsanurk
The exact schedule of reading theatre productions of the House of Known Unknowns can be found HERE. The House of Known Unknowns is part of the main program of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, and with it the Estonian Theatre Agency is celebrating its 30th birthday.
The main sponsors of Estonian theatre festival Draama are the Eesti Kultuurkapital, the city of Tartu and the Estonian Ministry of Culture.