This is how summer theater is born

Spring 2021

A budget frame is drawn up for the production.

The idea for the future play comes from the theater director Timo Rissanen off.

Rissanen: "I listened a lot to the music of Fred, who passed away in the spring, and while listening to it, I got the idea that a romantic summer comedy could be born around the songs."

Summer 2021

Rissanen and the screenwriter Osku Valve meet and discuss the theme and idea of ​​the play. Valve sends Rissanen a synopsis of the play.

It is decided to start writing the script.

Autumn 2021

Valve writes the script and Rissanen acts as a dramaturgical reader: comments, ideas, refines together with Valvee.

Rissanen assembles an artistic work group: actors, set designer, costume designer, hairdresser, choreographer and conductor.

Rissanen: "I first discuss the upcoming play with the actor. If he's interested and if the other pieces fall through, we'll make a deal. The first casting was done in September. The whole gang was together in October."

Actor Aarni Kivinen: "I saw the information in one of the audition links and I was happy that Actors are still being searched publicly. I applied right away."

Conductor Lauri Kuosa starts assembling an orchestra.

Marketing chief Katri Storhammar start marketing planning together with the work group and the advertising agency. A visual look is created for the play.

The play of the summer theater is announced to the public. Posters and other marketing material appear along the streets and online.

We are looking for summer apartments in Imatra for visiting actors.

Winter 2021–2022

The first version of the script will be completed in January.

Grinding continues: Rissanen comments, Valve writes.

Rissanen prepares for directing work by reading the script and writing down his thoughts.

Vieraileva as set designer and costume designer Karmo Mende starts planning the set and costumes. Stage master Veikko Harju start searching for supplies. This summer, for example, you need an old cash register, a rag stick and a papa hill for the stage.

The composition of the orchestra is confirmed.

Rissanen assembles the background team: in addition to the artistic work group, the summer theater needs a stage person, a hairdresser-make-up artist, a sound man and a costume supervisor.

Marketing campaigns begin.

Storhammar: "Groups and tourists coming from further afield usually make their ticket purchase decisions for the summer theater well in advance, so future productions must be brought to their attention already in winter. At the same time, they are offered other Imatra services and places to visit."

March-April 2022

The script is being completed. The actors start reading the script and rehearsing the songs.

Conductor Kuosa starts arranging the songs.

Kuosa: "The first thing to do is to make the sheet music for the singers, because they have to be able to practice."

The set designers make a precise plan for the set and start building the sets. The first Stages will be completed at the end of April.

Choreography Jyri Numminen begins to plan choreographies.

Numminen: "I listen to songs, I place them in the story in my imagination, I think about who the song belongs to, what happened in the story before the song and what happens after it. I also discuss the songs with the director and the conductor. Vocal numbers can be entertaining, but they also add rhythm to the whole and tell a story."

Director Rissanen makes a control plan and an exact training plan, which shows which scene is being practiced at any given time.

May 2022

The actors meet each other and go through the text together.

Practices start in Imatra at the end of May.

Rissanen: "In the first week, singing and show rehearsals are done, and the choreographer joins the rehearsals at the end of the first week. Practices are held from Monday to Friday twice a day and once on Saturdays."

Lavastamo builds sets. When the rehearsals begin, the Actors get to practice directly on the frames of the sets.

Responsible for sound design Keijo Miettinen designs the sound world and makes the play's sound effects.

The construction of the stage picture begins with the summer theater.

Marketing campaigns run and continue until the end of the show season.

What's still ahead?

In June, the working group practices six times a week. There is three and a half weeks, so the exercises must proceed exactly according to the plan made in advance.

The premiere will be held on Tuesday, June 28.6.

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