Measure for Measure
Theatrum
3th September, 2024 at 6 p.m.
The Small Building of Theatre Vanemuine (English translation)
lives which wouldn’t destroy their souls and in turn also the society. He decides to experiment with reviving an old law where everyone who commits an amoral deed is faced with a death sentence. He thinks that it’s his own fault that his leniency has led to the proliferation of debauchery, so he names a young, talented and rational aristocratic statesman Angelo with a spotless reputation to govern and implement the law. And Angelo
starts following the law to the letter. The duke announces that he is leaving the country but instead he stays and hides under a monk’s coat and starts calling himself brother Ludovic to see how the events unfold. And the events take unexpected and strange turns which require swift solutions and decisions.
The performance talks about loaded themes which are relevant to this day and age – lawsand morals, the essence and relationship between the laws of the state and the heaven, the process of law, the responsibilities of rulers, the extent of transgression and the level of punishment, sin and mercy, the depravity of human soul and the possibility of healing it, the
voice of conscience – following or silencing it, love, lust and purity of heart, the power of money and prostitution, honour and moral compromises.
And in addition to that, the secret of death is also one of the main themes.
What does the Doomsday Court look like where we will all stand one day and how does it relate to how we judge others and ourselves? Who is the Supreme Judge?
What kind of people should be in power and how should they govern people? Can they take care of the matters of the soul and spirit? Are they responsible for these? What does this responsibility look like?
What is forgiveness and mercy and are there limits to these? How do they differ from tolerance and letting go?
Similarly to several other plays, Shakespeare uses games to distinguish between the fictional and the truth and to figure out the best solutions. Maybe the mirror of theatre will help us step towards clarity which allows us to differentiate between fictional and real in our goals, responsibilities and tasks, in ourselves and the world around us.
If we succeed of course. One can but hope.
Theatrum has a long tradition of staging Shakespeare’s plays. The year 2003 saw the premiere of “Hamlet“ (1601) and in 2018, the premiere of “King Lear“ (1606) took place. The Theatre classes at Vanalinna Hariduskolleegium have staged “Two Gentlemen from Verona“, “Much Ado about Nothing“ and “All’s Well That Ends Well“ as their graduation projects. The comedy “Measure for Measure“ (1604) has been in the plans to be staged for decades.
Author: William Shakespeare
Translator: Georg Meri
Director: Lembit Peterson
Stage designer: Marius Peterson
Lighting designer: Rene Liivamägi
Sound designer: Eva Eensaar
Choreographer: Tiina Mölder
Cast: Ott Aardam, Anneli Tuulik, Andri Luup, Laura Peterson Aardam, Kristjan Üksküla, Mart Aas (vabakutseline), Tarmo Song, Helvin Kaljula, Tiit Alte, Mare Peterson, Erik Richard Salumäe, Mark Erik Savi, Merlin Kivi, Maria Teresa Kalmet, Jonathan Peterson jt. Singers: Maria Teresa Kalmet, Merlin Kivi, Erik Richard Salumäe, Jonathan Peterson ja Abram Aardam, Taavet Song või Johan Kaspar Peterson ning teised. Instruments are played by Jonathan Peterson, Tarmo Song.
It premiered on 30th March, 2023 at the Theatrum hall.
The performance lasts for 4 hours and 15 minutes with two intermissions.