Curtain Going Up For Sointula

~ by Mika Kaartinen

Greetings from Masalan nuorisoteatteri (Masala Youth Theater) from Finland.

On Wednesday, June 20^th 2012, Sointula will premiere in our theater. The play tells the story of Matti Kurikka and the people that settled Malcolm Island, who believed in utopian ideals.

Sointula is an extremely interesting and challenging project for us.

Our writer and director Tuomo Aitta has done a huge amount of work studying material about Kurikka’s life and the history of Sointula. The stories from those days are so eventful that they actually sound fictional. Nowadays it is hard to understand the circumstances that drove people to move to the other side of the world. I also wonder what it must have felt like to leave everything behind – home, relatives, friends, everything. It requires courage and “sisu” to start a whole new life in a new world.

These days too few Finns know who Matti Kurikka was or where Sointula is located. For us the play has already opened a whole new world and exposed an exciting part of Finnish history.

I was fascinated to learn that there still is a place called Sointula in Malcolm Island and I was absolutely thrilled when I received the first email from Sue Ness (Tanner). Thank you Sue! Later on I discussed the painting on the Sointulas museum’s wall with Vern Aro,, enjoyed Dan Hillert’s photos, read articles from Sointula Ripple and dreamed of visiting Sointula one day. Maybe with our theater group?

I hope we succeed in telling these stories in an entertaining but also realistic way. I believe that Sointula Ripple readers would be the best to evaluate our success. So if you have any chance, you are most welcome to visit Masalan nuorisoteatteri in Finland to watch the play!

Please visit our website for some pictures of the play: www.masalannuorisoteatteri.net/sointula

Here is the first trailer for the play, only in Finnish though: http://youtu.be/rTGiIPVZP4c

Oikein hyvää kevättä teille kaikille!

Yours,

Mika Kaartinen

Producer, Masalan nuorisoteatteri

 Some facts:

-         Masala is a part of Kirkkonummi municipality, located 25 km west of Helsinki.

-         Our theater has been active for 30 years and it operates in a lately renovated 100 years old “haali”.

-         Nowadays the theater has over 100 active amateur youth actors of ages 9-29 years.

-         There are also a number of older actives who have started their careers from Masala and are now giving their professional experience to educate  younger generations.

-         Sointula is written by Tuomo Aitta and directed by Tuomo Aitta and Hannele Tuominen. Matti Kurikka’s role is performed by Jussi Puhakka.

Photos by Sameli Sivonen:                        

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