"For the show to succeed, I must have my own creative ideas crystal clear. The closer we came to the première, the more people were involved in the production. As the director I share my vision of the musical's entirety as well as its parts several times a day. That is one portion of my job. Take for instance the fact that the story is in itself a journey, not simply stepping on and off the stage. In order for the audience to feel the odyssey from their seats, each and every member of the ensemble must feel this eternal voyage as Kristina does. And only when all these farmers in the performance, on the ocean tossed ship, project the feeling that they are on a boat for the first time in their lives, is the immenseness of the sea and the precarious safety of the boat internalized by the audience.
"Theater is illusion aided by strong and distinct feelings. There are several large set designs in Kristina from Duvemåla. These served as suitable solutions but we also employed a fragmentary approach to many scenes. The totality of the production must incorporate the various individual parts.
"I believe that my musical background was a significant factor in our collaboration surrounding Kristina from Duvemåla. I was capable of comprehending, emotionally and intellectually, the work which Björn and Benny gave me. Musical theater is something entirely unique. It must at once feature the rhythm of the music and also blend smoothly with the rhythm of the performance. My own rhythmic instincts are directly connected to music. I have always had an endearing association to music.
"The very earliest contact I had with Björn and Benny was when the Malmö Dramatic Theater was transformed into a musical theater. I had read that they were working on Duvemåla and remember thinking that it would be a golden opportunity for the Malmö Musical Theater to launch its new course with something Swedish as well as an original work by Björn and Benny. And in addition, something so consummately Swedish as the story of The Emigrants. At last, it did indeed happen. We had a large stage and a fine ensemble to offer. But that I myself was to be so involved with the production, well I certainly had no inkling of that at the time.
"Clearly, it was an unforgettable experience for the entire ensemble to participate in the original staging of Kristina from Duvemåla. If everyone, regardless of their task, was stricken by a feeling of being selected, then it would undoubtedly become a rather extraordinary production. All those involved received a lifelong memory. Everyone felt that they contributed something meaningful and indeed they did, too.
"Stress carries such a negative connotation, yet there was a fair amount of stress when the première was set for October and in April we decided to amend the entire set design. But the feeling was not of stress, rather a wonderfully creative energy."
Spring 1998
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