Stáinnak
A New Beaivváš Production:
STÁINNAK by Marry Áilonieida Somby
Director: Victoria Kahn
Sets, costumes and masks: Sara Kander
Light design: Bernt Morten Bongo
Composer: Roger Ludvigsen
Actors:
Leammuid Biret Rávdná
Sarakka Gaup
Áilloš
Egil Keskitalo
Svein B. Olsen
Performance time approximately 45 minutes. The play is performed in the Sami language
Synopsis
Stainnak is the fortune-bringing reindeer of the subterranean fairy world (Uldamáilbmi). One day when he is grazing and enjoying the delicious moss in the fairy world, he is swept away by a sudden rock avalanche. The fairy girls Cousin Blue and Cousin Red come looking for Stainnak, and when he can’t be found anywhere they decide to go and look for him in the human world.
When Stainnak comes to himself, he is surprised to find himself in the human world. He is hungry so he starts eating the moss. Then the Rat Police enters the scene and saying it is illegal to eat the moss here, he arrests Stainnak and puts him in jail.
When Cousin Blue and Cousin Red find Stainnak in jail, they beg the Rat Police to release him, because he brings fortune to the grazing pastures in the fairy world as well as the human world. But the Rat Police refuses, saying that the Wise Men are digging for uranium in the area and he cannot allow stupid fairy girls or a reindeer to disrupt such important activity. He tries to arrest the girls, but they manage to escape.
In the forest the girls call for Gold Beetle (Gollegoppáš) to come and help them. When Gold Beetle hears that the Wise Men are digging for uranium, he becomes very worried. He advises the girls to go to the Great Mother (Gieddegeašáhku) whose wisdom has saved both fairies and humans from danger since time immemorial.
The Great Mother tells the girls that they must get the magic power stone from the Snake (Gerpmen), but they must trick him to get the stone.
The girls find the Snake who has just eaten a troll, but he wouldn’t mind having two little fairy girls for dessert. The girls trick the snake into playing a game – he will throw the stone into the air, and if they can’t catch it he can eat them. The girls manage to catch the stone and run away with it.
In the police station, big boss Drone Troll (Jurratroalla) orders the Rat Police to shoot Stainnak because he knows too much about the digging going on in the area. The Rat Police doesn’t want to shoot Stainnak who has become his friend, but he must obey Drone Troll’s orders. Cousin Blue and Cousin Red arrive and cast a spell on Drone Troll so that he falls asleep. With the help of the magic stone the girls manage to rescue Stainnak. Together they return to the fairy world and natural order is restored.
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Performance dates 2012:
- Kautokeino, Norway 10 & 12. February
- Hetta (Enontekio), Finland 14 February
- Karasjok, Norway 16 February
- Lakselv, Norway 18 February
- Varangerbotn, Norway 22 February
- Tana, Norway 23 February
- Utsjoki, Finland 25 February
- Inari, Finalnd 26 February
- Jokkmokk, Sweden 29 February
- Kiruna, Sweden 1 March
- Karesuando, Sweden 2 March
- Alta, Norway 6 March
- Drag, Norway 6 March
- Skånland, Norway 12 March
- Tromsø, Norway 13 & 14 March
- Manndalen, Norway 15 March
- Kautokeino, Norway 26 March
- During Kautokeino Easter Festival 5, 6 & 8 March