Productions

THE CURSE OF SOLARIS

Von Krahl Theatre’s space odyssey based on Stanisław Lem’s novel “Solaris”

The show has Russian and English subtitles

Director: Marianne Kõrver

Dramaturge: Taavi Eelmaa

Set and costume design: Liisi Eelmaa

Composer of original music: Lauri-Dag Tüür

Video design: Emer Värk

Light design: Oliver Kulpsoo

Graphic design: Margus Tamm

Cast: Mari Abel, Ivo Reinok, Tõnis Niinemets, Taavi Eelmaa, Andres Ots

Performance “Radiating the Solaris”: Taavet Jansen, Liis Vares

Premiere: June 7th 2014

Shows: June 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th 2014 at 7 p.m. in the Noblessner Quarter on the 2nd floor of the Yacht Club (Address: Tööstuse 48, Kalamaja district, Tallinn)

Tickets are on sale at Piletilevi, Piletimaailm and Von Krahl Theatre (Rataskaevu 10, open every day from 9 a.m. till 11 p.m.)

The ticket costs 15 € till May 7th, from May 8th the ticket costs 17 € and from June 7th onwards the ticket price is 20 €.

More info: www.vonkrahl.ee/en/etendus/solarise-needus/

There’s a planet in the universe that can grant one’s most hidden wishes. For some reason this planet called Solaris is incapable of discerning between repressed fears and carefully hidden dreams. In order to save humanity from this Room of Horrors the space-psychotherapist Kris Kelvin must enter the plane of memory and return to his dead lover to relive their tragic tale once more.

“The age-old faith of lovers and poets in the power of love, stronger than death, that finis vitae sed non amoris, is a lie, useless and not even funny. I persist in the faith that the time of cruel miracles is not past.”

These are the final words of Stanisław Lem’s novel “Solaris”, the novel that influenced the culture of the second half of the 20th century in ways that even the author himself could hardly grasp. We are more familiar with Andrei Tarkovsky’s and Steven Soderbergh’s visual allegories of the story. Less so with theatre adaptations and operas. It’s even harder to name books that have tackled this eternal theme using Lem’s trademark creative tactics. Let “Solaris”, this ancient internal holy war against a living God, be known as “Lem’s Endgame”. Let it be known as a cruel and beautiful game of chess between the human soul and its creator, both of whom shall be surprised to discover the true meaning of eternal solitude ripe with anger, sadness and guilt. Was a lonely yearning God ever capable of creating anything else than a human being who yearns and suffers in solitude just the same? Could God’s guilt be greater than man’s original sin? In what state does God find himself if he wants to ask man’s forgiveness but retains no concept of forgiveness?

Kris Kelvin the interplanetary knight, chosen one by chance, descends to the battlefield of the inner cosmos armed only with his own limitations and tragic love. Is he able to persuade God that man has forgiven Him his deed? Is Kelvin ready to die for it? Or does his heart falter and anger will prevail? Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa … Should these words be uttered by the Creator or the One He Created?

We do not know.

Our king is in check. (Taavi Eelmaa, dramaturge)