This online exhibition explores ancient Greek tragedies performed on stage in Finland. It spans four decades, from the 1980s to 2013.

To the exhibition

Within the timeline of this exhibition, more than twenty performances of Greek tragedies were staged in Finnish theatres reflecting an international trend. The 2500 years old texts have lent themselves to a variety of experimentations in theatre aesthetics. The chorus, masks, texts in verse composition, and their timeless themes have challenged and inspired theatre artists.

The structure of the online exhibition follows that of the Theatre Museum exhibition (Tragedy in Time – Timeless Tragedy, 2013–14), which was divided into two main themes, Agora and Ecstasy. These themes are explored through photographic materials, video recordings, interviews, masks, programme leaflets, and tragedy voices i.e. text extracts. Most of the theatre materials are sourced from theatres and from the archives of the Theatre Museum. The materials include an interview with professor Oliver Taplin, as well as interviews with Finnish theatre directors Anna-Mari Karvonen, Miira Sippola, Atro Kahiluoto, Ritva Siikala, and Jotaarkka Pennanen.

The working group:
Ina Aaltojärvi, Pia Houni, Camilla Nenonen
Visual design and technical implementation – Irina Fialkina

Produced by Theatre Museum 2015