Already before the premiere, the majority of the tickets are sold out, a golden opportunity can be thought of even for a theater that must earn 70 percent of the money itself.
But Västanå in Sunne is the youngest regional theater and also has the lowest public funding, emphasizes the artistic director and director Leif Stinnerbom.
Already last year, he explained that the theater had never been so economically strained. This year, the situation – despite being sold out last year – is even worse. With inflation and increased wage agreements, costs have increased significantly without the grants being increased.
The only thing we can do is raise ticket prices and that's not something we want to do. It becomes a skewed audience, it becomes those who have money who come – I think that's a bad cultural policy.
Last year we were sold out, but it doesn't help. We have a small buffer, but what happens then?
Dull darkness
The world situation in 1914 lies like a dull background darkness in Selma Lagerlöf's story about a poor father who goes crazy, thinks Leif Stinnerbom, who sees more similarities with today, also in her descriptions of a threateningly warm and dry summer.
That thing about emperors is not entirely uncomplicated. You can say that Selma describes an emperor's madness, a criticism of dictatorships simply, against people who elevate themselves to emperors and make themselves superior.
The first time he put up "The Emperor of Portugal" at Västanå, 25 years ago, Leif Stinnerbom had just moved to a farm in Östra Ämtervik, unaware that it was exactly there that the model for the play's main character, Jan i Skrolycka, died.
He was an old servant who, according to the poor care of the time, changed housing every fourteenth day – the farm where the servant died was forced to pay for the funeral.
He got pneumonia just when such a change was to take place and then they threw the old man on a sled and ran with him to get across the property boundary to our house. They made it, he just managed to get in here and then he passed away.
Reply
Leif Stinnerbom also tells that he has made an effort to include what he thinks is the novel's – and the play's – best line. Accused of just sitting and lying, the farmer Ol'Bengtsa defends the power of imagination: "It's nice as long as you can have a party in your thoughts, they taste better, they, than the real ones", he says.
I think that's a nice description of how important culture is.
More summer theater:
Shakespeare factory in Vadstena: "Slutet gott! Allting gott?" directed by Pontus Plaenge, premiere July 5.
Park theater in Stockholm: Among other things, "Större än allt", a puppet show by Peter Lennstrand with music by the Lindgren brothers, June 18-29.
Norrbotten theater: "Loranga, Masarin and Dartanjang", new premiere of the 2023 production, at Hägnan in Luleå until June 25, then on tour.
Västerbotten theater: "Spelman på taket", new premiere in Medleforsparken of last year's summer production, played until July 13.
Skillinge theater: Among other things, "The man who thought he knew too much", international guest performance by Voloz Collective, played on July 10, 12 and 13.
Hagestads summer theater on Österlen: New premiere on June 28 of Chekhov's "Three Sisters".
Krusenstiernska theater, Kalmar: "Oss swingers emellan" with, among others, Clara Henry, premiere June 26.
Estrad norr, Döda fallet: New premiere of the previous performance "En musikalisk fantasi om Lapp-Nils", until June 15.
High coast, outdoor theater: "Bygdespelet Höga Kusten", new premiere of the sawmill musical with music by Tomas Ledin, new premiere July 3.
Vallarnas outdoor theater: "Kalabalalik i fabriken", premiere June 29.
