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“Regarding performing \u201eJohn Neiland\u201d in small theatres, I have to say some words. At the end of the first act the figure of Reinhard appears like through the mist. This is done by placing sofa, where Leontine lies down, next to the window or door in the set. This area is screened off with several veils, and behind them the daring Reinhard will appear like through the mist. When one veil after another are lifted up like curtains, Reinhards figure becomes more and more distinct as if he were coming closer. \u2013 Klumpo\u010ds must not soap down his guests with a real soap, rather he uses some white powder since foam from the soap won\u2019t last as long as it is necessary for creating a comic effect. \u2013 Smaller stages can modify the act in the riverside in such way that the audience doesn\u2019t see the river, but they know that it\u2019s behind the curtains. Over there Mother of the river performs her song at the end of the act, behind the scenes \u2013 likewise as at the beginning of the act, Neiland, while singing his couplet, doesn\u2019t throw his fishing rod into the river, but behind the scenes, where respective prop is being attached to the hook. Furthermore, a small theatre can display the snow decoration by placing green spruces on the stage and covering the branches with cotton. Snowing can be mimicked by pouring down from above a load of finely chopped paper. The beer mug Klumpo\u010ds is so excessively drinking the beer from, is made with double walls \u2013 beverage is poured between them, making the mug look full while it\u2019s empty in the middle. Such glasses are available in every respectable glass shop. \u2013 In the countryside, where the theatre personnel are scarce, some actors may perform two roles at once.”<\/p>\n
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Foreword to the Adolf\u2019s Alun\u0101n\u2019s fairy-tale drama in three acts and six scenes \u201eJohn Neiland\u201d, Riga, April 6th, 1884.<\/sub><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As art historian Anita Vanaga would say, this painting starts in Latvia the postmodernism or play in play for the sake of play, which not only hasn\u2019t come to an end, but reaches even more profoundly and deeper the other way back.<\/p>\n<\/span>Thanks to the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) seminar and The Arts Assembly<\/em>, during the public discussion about the necessary improvements, The Case in the Cafe<\/em> was defined as a precise \/ casual discussion about artworks with few people involved, precisely chosen.<\/p>\n<\/span>The problem is quite peculiar or, referring to another designation pronounced in the meeting \u2013 \u201ebullshit!\u201d. Outside Soviet space there is a strong opinion that Latvia, along with other post-Soviet countries, didn\u2019t have a postmodern tradition or, to be more precise, it is unclear if the discussion of this topic is even possible, since postmodernism in Riga is something quite different from postmodernism elsewhere.<\/p>\n<\/span>Furthermore, one of our allies, the professor of hermeneutics Ar\u016bnas Sverdiolas, who\u2019s essay \u201eThe Sieve, the Fog, and the Honeycomb…\u201d have been recently translated into Latvian, on his part states that \u201ein the post communist countries, postmodernism reaches far deeper than in the West. We are more radical in several aspects and, first of all, much more destructive and reckless\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/span>The Case in the Cafe<\/em> this time focuses on tomfoolery in the Adolf\u2019s Alun\u0101n\u2019s fizziest comedy. In this production of Daile Theatre from 1980s we encounter the ironic stage design by Juris Dimiters (\u201ethose who behind the splendorous curtain expect to find even more marvellous decorations are mistaken\u201d \u2013 an excerpt from theatre criticism section in the press), accompanying the play, presented to \u201eour overintelligent audience\u201d by director K\u0101rlis Au\u0161k\u0101ps.<\/p>\n<\/span>In this stage design sketch from 1982 \u201eJohn Neiland and Friends\u201d, we see the director in a lavender leotard, \u201eeasy to humour\u201d theatre costume designer Baiba Puzinas, \u201ethe gloomiest Latvian composer in history\u201d Raimonds Pauls, and the artist himself \u2013 this very solemn person with moustache\u201d.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Case in the Cafe was a series of events initiated by Kim? Contemporary Art Centre in order to investigate the connection of abstract ideas by penetrating some specific spots (authors, works, events) of art in 20th and 21st century Latvia and beyond, which in the framework of this investigation process and still being left […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,4,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-29","category-kim-exhibitions","category-past-exhibitions"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n