Renāte Kērda Brings Directorial Debut SALA to Liepāja Theatre
Kērda serves as the author, director, playwright, and visual and musical designer for the new work titled SALA, marking the venue’s first new production of the season. Her previous works have toured across 15 countries in Europe, Asia, and Scandinavia, earning international festival recognition along with the Estonian Cultural Endowment’s annual theatre prize and multiple Estonian Theatre Awards nominations and wins.
Valters Sīlis on the Long-Awaited Collaboration
Liepāja Theatre artistic director Valters Sīlis stated that bringing Kērda to Latvia was a long-cherished dream, noting that seeing her productions in Estonia offers an unpredictable yet joyful theatrical journey. According to Sīlis, Kērda’s works stand out for searching for a truly poetic stage language infused with small and large theatrical discoveries and a consistent sense of humor. Kērda constructs her performances as unified works of art where all elements interconnect to serve a single core idea, focusing her creative output on human existence, its absurdities, and social phenomena.
Did you know? Renāte Kērda’s signature style is autorteātris, meaning she routinely takes on multiple creative roles—including direction, playwriting, and visual and musical design—to build her productions as cohesive artistic statements.
The Poetic Metaphor of SALA
The title SALA utilizes a deliberate play on words, as the term can function as either a noun or a verb depending on viewer interpretation. Kērda described the upcoming production as a poem and a social allegory concerning contemporary society, stating that she wants to offer audiences a clean-slate experience based purely on the title. Kērda explained her vision by asking why anyone would deign to explain a poem before it is experienced, or hand over a solved crossword puzzle, noting that an island can represent a physical location, a distance, a boundary, or an internal state of mind.
Production Cast and Creative Team
The cast for SALA features actors Polina Čerņenoka, Edgars Ozoliņš, Gatis Maliks, Hugo Puriņš, and Kārlis Ērglis, with lighting design handled by Mārtiņš Feldmanis. Rehearsals at the Liepāja Theatre began in late July ahead of the September opening night.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the premiere of SALA at Liepāja Theatre?
The premiere takes place on September 26, serving as the Liepāja Theatre’s first new production of the season.
Who is the director of SALA?
The production is directed, written, and visually and musically designed by Estonian theatre artist Renāte Kērda.
Who stars in the cast of SALA?
The cast includes actors Polina Čerņenoka, Edgars Ozoliņš, Gatis Maliks, Hugo Puriņš, and Kārlis Ērglis.
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