Speaking about Reality: Verbatim techniques in contemporary Finnish documentary theatre

Authors

  • Laura Gröndahl Helsinki University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7146/nts.v28i2.25601

Keywords:

Documentary, verbatim, political theatre, postdramatic, performative, autheticity

Abstract

During the past years, different modes of documentary theatre have gained popularity. A distinctive feature there is the use of verbatim texts, borrowed directly from authentic documents like recorded interviews or minutes, including sometimes even coincidental stuttering of the original speaker. In this article I analyse the verbatim-technique as part of the post-dramatic performance strategies. It makes it possible to focus on the materiality of language as a texture as well as an instrument for meaning making and communicating contents. It also gives a more active role to the audience. When texts are explicitly framed as authentic, and reiterated with exaggerated precision, the attention is drawn to the performative repetition of the speech acts. Thus, the verbatim performances do not so much refer to reality “as it is”, but rather stage acts of making claims about something we call reality. Borrowing Carol Martin, the contemporary generation of documentary theatre makers aspire to make relevant claims about social reality even if they use postmodern strategies and admit that truth and reality are not within their reach. I will discuss different strategies of using the verbatim techniques in documentary performances. I theorize the subject using well-known international examples, move on to a short overview of recent documentary theatre in Finland, and examine closer four cases: Parliament III in Ryhmäteatteri in 2015, Towards Work at Kouvolan Teatteri in 2014, Ruusula Street 10 at Q-teatteri in 2014, and My Palestine at Teatteri Takomo in 2015.

References

Auslander, Philip. 1992. Presence and Resistance. Postmodern and Cultural Politics in Contemporary American Performance. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.

Austin, J.L.1962. How to Do Things with Words. London: Oxford University Press.

Dadu, Noora, recorded interview with the author, 20 April 2015. Recording in the possession of the author.

Fischer-Lichte, Erika. 2008. The Transformative Power of Performance. Translation Saskya Iris Jain. London and New York: Routledge. (Ästhetik des Performativen, 2004.)

Forsyth, Alison & Chris Megson. (eds.) 2009. Get Real. Documentary Theatre Past and Present. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Forsyth, Alison. 2009. ”Performing Trauma: Race Riots and Beyond in the Work of Anna Deavere Smith” in Forsyth & Megson (eds.) 2009, 140—150.

Guénoun, Denis. 2007. Näyttämön filosofia. Translation Kaisa Sivenius, Esa Kirkkopelto and Riina Maukola. Helsinki: LIKE.

Haapala, Laura, recorded interview with the author, 27 February 2015. Recording in the possession of the author.

Hallikainen, Niko. “Teatterin tarve tänään” Teatteri ja tanssi 7/2015. http://www.teatteritanssi.fi/7717-teatterin-tarve-tanaan/ accessed 1 December 2016.

Hammond, Will & Steward, Dan. (eds.) 2008. Verbatim, verbatim, contemporary documentary theatre. London: Oberon Books.

Junttila, Janne. 2012. Dokumenttiteatterin uusi aalto. Helsinki: Like.

Kangas, Ilona. “Kehyskertomus” Turun Sanomat 28.9.2015. http://www.ts.fi/kulttuuri/nayttamotaide/818071/Kehyskertomus, accessed 1 December 2016.

Kuparinen, Susanna. 2013. Monologisuudesta moniäänisyyteen. Journalistinen dokumenttiteatteri yhden totuuden maassa. Helsinki: Teatterikorkeakoulu, master thesis in theatre direction.https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/39566 accessed 24 March 2016.

Lehmann, Hans-Thies. 2009. Draaman jälkeinen teatteri. Translation Riitta Virkkunen. Helsinki: Like. (Postdramatisches Theater, 1999.)

Linnapuomi, Satu, recorded interview with the author, 23 January 2015. Recording in the possession of the author.

Lyotard Jean-Francois, 1985. Tieto Postmodernissa yhteiskunnassa. Translation Leevi Lehto. Tampere: Vastapaino. (La condition postmoderne, 1979.)

Mahlamäki, Hanna. “Näytelmä väittää: Juha Sipilä on kova ja osaamaton johtaja, josta media rakensi messiaan.” Helsingin Sanomat 28.9.2015. http://www.hs.fi/arviot/teatteri/a1443320690675# accessed 1 December 2016.

Martin, Carol. (ed.) 2010. Dramaturgy of the Real on the World Stage. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Martin, Carol (2010) ”Dramaturgy of the Real” in Martin (ed.) 2010, 1—14.

Nikitin, Boris & Schlewitt, Carena & Brenk, Tobias. (eds.) 2014. Dokument, Fälschung, Wirklichkeit. Materialband zum zeitgenössischen Dokumentarischen Theater. Berlin: Verlag Theatre der Zeit.

Nikitin, Boris. 2014. ”Der unzuverlässige Zeuge” in Nikitin & Schlewitt & Brenk (eds.) 2014. 12—19.

Numminen, Katariina. 2011. ”Tekstin ja esityksen suhde nykyteatterissa” in Ruuskanen (ed.) Nykyteatterikirja. 2000-luvun alun uusi skene. Helsinki: LIKE. 22—39.

Paget Derek. 1987. “‘Verbatim Theatre’: Oral History and Documentary Techniques" in New Theatre Quarterly 3, 317—336. doi:10.1017/S0266464X00002463.

Porokuru, Pontus. “Eduskunta III - Teatteri tekee toimittajien työt” Kansan Uutiset 11.10.2015. http://www.kansanuutiset.fi/artikkeli/3443945-eduskunta-iii-teatteri-tekee-toimittajien-tyot, accessed 1 December 2016.

Reinelt Janelle. 2009. ”The Promise of Documentary” in Forsyth & Megson (eds.) Get Real. Documentary Theatre Past and Present. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. 6—23.

Reinelt, Janelle. 2010. ”Towards a Poetics of Theatre and Public Events: In the Case of Stephen Lawrence” in Martin (ed.) Dramaturgy of the Real on the World Stage. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hamshire and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 27—44.

Renov, Michael. (ed.) 1993. Theorizing Documentary. New York and London: Routledge.

Renov, Michael. 1993. ”Introduction: The Truth about Non-Fiction” in Renov, Michael. (ed.) 1993, 7—11.

Rokem, Freddie, 2000. Performing History. Theatrical Representations of the Past in Contemporary Theatre. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.

Rosen, Philip. 1993 ”Document and Documentary: On the Persistence of Historical Concepts” in Renov, Michael. (ed.) 1993. Theorizing Documentary. New York and London: Routledge, 58—89.

Ruuskanen, Annukka (ed.) 2011. Nykyteatterikirja. 2000-luvun alun uusi skene. Helsinki: LIKE.

Sennett, Richard 1978. The Fall of Public Man. New York: Vintage Books.

Sivonen, Arto (activist in the Töölö-movement) 9 March 2015 phone interview with the author.

Suni, Annakaisa. “Kansanedustaja katsoi Eduskunta III:n: ‘Kritiikki on aiheellista’” Vihreä Lanka 1.10.2015. http://www.vihrealanka.fi/arki/kansanedustaja-katsoi-eduskunta-iiin-kritiikki-on-aiheellista, accessed 1 December 2016.

Talvitie, Liisa. “Saarnaavaa teatteria” Apu, 28.9.2015. http://blogit.apu.fi/lampio/saarnaavaa-teatteria/ accessed 1 December 2016.

Taylor, Diana. 2003. The Archive and the Repertoire. Performing Cultural Memory in the Americas. US: Duke University Press.

Tinfo Finnish Theatre Statistics http://www.tinfo.fi/documents/teatteritilastot2014_verkko.pdf accessed 21 September 2014.

Wikström, Jonna. Broadcasted interview in ”Puheen Iltapäivä: Dokumenttiteatteriesitys Ruusulankatu 10 murtaa ennakkoluuloja” ("The afternoon of talk: the documentary performance Ruusula Street 10 breaks prejudices") broadcasted 17 September 2014.Listened in YLE Areena 12 october 2014.

Wikström, Jonna, recorded interview with the author, 23 october 2014. Recording in the possession of the author.

Vuorenrinne, Antti. “Eduskuntatarinan päätös: Kulukurirosvoiksi paljatuvat VM:n virkamiehet” Demokraatti 8.10.2015 http://demokraatti.fi/mustahuppuiset-valtiovarainministerion-virkamiehet-loytyvat-tarinan-roistoiksi/ accessed 1 December 2016.

Performances and videos

Dadu, Noora 2015. Minun Palestiinani (My Palestine) Teatteri Takomo, premiere 28 March 2015. Performance seen 9 April 2015.

Haapala Laura - Linnapuomi Satu 2014. Työtä päin (Towards Work). Kouvolan teatteri, premiere 8 November 2014. Performance seen 13 November 2014, and a video recording at disposal.

Kuparinen, Susanna and team 2015. Eduskunta III (Parliament III). Ryhmäteatteri, Helsinginkatu stage, premiere 26 September 2015. Performance seen 24 September 2015.

Eduskunta III, tervetulosanat” ("Parliament III, Welcome Words") TV-program on YLE Teema, 6 August 2016, 20.00—20.15.

Kuparinen, Susanna and team 2015. Eduskunta III (Parliament III). Yle Teema, 6 August 2016, 20.15—22.15.

Smith, Anna Deavere. Fires in the Mirror, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnkrUJny0CE accessed 22 November 2016

Smith, Anna Deavere. Let Me Down Easy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ1OyKy9FwM, accessed 4 October 2016.

Wikström, Jonna 2014. Ruusulankatu 10 (Ruusula Street 10) Q-teatteri, stage Puolikuu, premiere 11 September 2014. Performance seen 17 September 2014 in Q-teatteri, and a video recording at disposal.

Wikström, Jonna 2014. Ruusulankatu 10 (Ruusula Street 10). Trailer https://vimeo.com/67797956, accessed 4 october 2016.

Downloads

Published

2017-12-29

How to Cite

Gröndahl, L. (2017). Speaking about Reality: Verbatim techniques in contemporary Finnish documentary theatre. Nordic Theatre Studies, 28(2), 71–96. https://doi.org/10.7146/nts.v28i2.25601

Issue

Section

Articles thematic section