INDIA: January 13th at the Ravindra Natya Mandir, PL Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy, Mumbai, 7:30 PM
NEPAL: January 20th at the Rimal Theatre, Gurukul, Baneshwor, Kathmandu, 12:00 and 4:30 PM
BANGLADESH: January 23rd at the Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, 10:30 AM and 6:30 PM.
Writer: Nils-Aslak Valkeapää
Music: Nils-Aslak Valkeapää
Director: Haukur J. Gunnarsson
Choreographer/co-director: Indra Lorentzen
Set designer: Aage Gaup
Costume designer: Berit Marit Hćtta
Musical director: Roger Ludvigsen
Light design: Kurt Hermansen
Make-up: Sven Henriksen
English translation: Roy Tommy Eriksen / Harald Gaski
Cast:
The frost haired: Egil Keskitalo
The herdsman: Nils Henrik Buljo
The chorus:
Inga-Máret Gaup-Juuso
Iŋgor Ántte Áilu Gaup
Mary Sarre
Musicians:
Kenneth Ekornes (Percussions)
Esa Kotilainen (Keyboard)
Roger Ludvigsen (Guitar)
Patrick Shaw Iversen (Flutes)
Synopsis:
“The Frost Haired and the Dream Seer” is the only play written by the great Sami poet, Nils Aslak Valkeapää (1943-2001). Inspired by the classical Japanese Noh theatre, he wrote this dream-play using the structure of Noh, but giving it Sámi content, expressing his own philosophy of life in the poetry of the text. The plot is simple: A young reindeer herder is following his trekking herd. As he settles for the night and falls asleep, he is visited by an apparition of an old man with frosted white hair. The old man tells the young herdsman to open up his senses and gain strength and knowledge from nature. He then disappears.
The young herdsman wakes up and realizes that the Frost Haired had some important message for him, and he begs him to return. The old wise man returns and in poetic terms and song opens up the young man’s eyes to the necessity for us humans to continue our interaction with, dependency upon, and most importantly respect for nature, the environment, and each other for the long-term welfare and survival of the planet. Man must never forget that he is only a small part of nature, of life, of the universe.
The Frost Haired brings the young man back to sleep, leaves his shamanic cane by his side and flies away in the shape of an owl. The young herdsman wakes up and seeing the cane, realizes that this was not just a dream. He rejoices in his new strength and wisdom given him by the Frost Haired.
