BWW Finland review: Olemisen hauraat ääriviivat - pirstaleita yksinäisyydestä

Olemisen hauraat ääriviivat - pirstaleita yksinäisyydestä (The fragile lines of being - shards of loneliness) succeeded in its wholeness. The show was promoted well and the premisis of what was offered and what we received had great balance.

Overall the messages of each peace were important and the personal remarks of the textes from each actor shone through. Surely there was a micture of fact and fiction but in a way that the emotions and stories were greatly delivered.

I also enjoyed the fact that these intimate monologues were performed in an intimate place with few audience benches and almost just a reach-away from the performers.

What it comes to the orders of the monologues it was a good choice to start with the energetic and clear story base of Valtteri Rossi. We've all been there: during lockdown we made a promise to start exercising, learn a new language and read all the books that have dust on the shelf.

And we all know the ending of it.

The personality of the character was also well brought on as the books framed the stage. I wonder if it would have worked even better if the actor would have already sat on stage, reading or making other kinds of notes inspite of the announcements that were heard about the performance. It was a little useless to just turn the lights off and on. In general the usage of the lights could have been a little more motivated or in tune with other changes, either emotional or spacial ones.

If there is a strong emotion given through the text the less there should be happening on stage, I think. The balance and contrast is valid in terms of what an audience member can experience themselves.

For example in this first piece, the most honest, captivating moment was when they just stared out from the window in silence, light shining on their face. This is a thing even professional theatres lack: letting the characters just breathe and thus letting the audience just breathe and feel with them.

Matleena Halla's piece that was the most challenging to me but - after I got over my own efforts of trying to "understand" the piece rather than just feeling and interpreting it by myself - I enjoyed it. The streets were empty and so was the room with the two dancers. It painted well the yearning of a touch and the longing of other people.

As an audience member you're always allowed to experience. If visuals are too much for you, close your eyes! And this tip goes on to any performance you are seeing.

"I want my thoughts to be beautiful and graceful"

Jenna Schleifer's piece hit me the most. The voice in your head that tries to help - but can't. Personally speaking there was a big katharsis when the voice was being told to take a break from judging. Throughoughly I enjoyed very much.

If there's a small-detail-tip I could give for it it's this: there could have been some more usage and more sharp timing of the stage in terms of back, center and front and also sitting and standing, just so we could have gone more in flow with the story. The movements could have been a little more motivated and paint the story.

The final piece of Sanna Salán's was as a text the most mature what it comes to drama and dramaturgy. The element of water and the peaceful moment of self care that easily turns into loneliness was also very touching and relateable. There was good timing in terms of text and where Sanna stood on stage. I would have just wanted a little more peacefulness to the intense scenes of it, just so that we as an audience could join into the world rather than just watching it. To perform things just a few seconds more slow that we could have hopped along.

All in all I can recommend this monologue collage and do hope it gets more showdates. I see no reason why it could not become a tour performance.

Text: Rosanna Ilo Liuski

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