SLG Celje - Mr Puntila and His Man Matti

One of the most important European playwrights and theatre theorists of the 20th century, a theatre reformer Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) began to write while still a medical and biology student in Munich. In spite of his immense and diverse oeuvre – he wrote socio-critical, erotic and intimate poetry, historical and philosophical novels, short fiction, essays, philosophical pieces, journals – his strongest impact on European literary history remains that of a playwright. In 1924, he moved to Berlin and soon became Max Reinhardt’s assistant at the Deutsches Theater. During this period, he wrote several plays, which were harbingers of the epic theatre of the Verfremdungseffekt (»distancing effect«). Brecht thought the audience required an emotional distance to reflect on what is being presented in critical and objective ways, rather than being taken out of themselves as conventional entertainment attempts to do. In 1928, he won great critical and popular acclaim for The Threepenny Opera. In 1933, when the Nazis took over, he left Germany and travelled in Europe until 1941, when he left for the United States. His best plays are from this period and include The Horatians and the Curiatians, Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, Life of Galileo, Mother Courage and Her Children, The Trial of Lucullus, The Good Person of Szechwan, Mr Puntila and his Man Matti, The Caucasian Chalk Circle. In 1948 he returned to East Berlin, where he founded the Berliner Ensemble with his wife Helene Weigel. Most of his plays were staged there. Brecht’s theoretic views of epic theatre had a strong impact on modern drama, which accepted most of his »distancing effects« and adapted them according to the new esthetics of 1950’s and 1960’s.

Mr Puntila and his Man Matti (1940), a people’s play, was written during Brecht’s exile years. The character of Puntila, a double-faced big landowner who leads a double life, is based on a short story by the Finnish-Estonian playwright Hella Wuolijoki, at whose house Brecht lived with his family during his exile in Finland. Mr Puntila and his Man Matti is one of his most often staged plays.

A big hard-drinking landowner, Puntila suffers from a split personality: when drunk, he is a friendly, generous, convivial, agreeable and kind-hearted person who pays no regard to class and social differences; when he sobers up, he is bossy, intolerable, ruthless, surly, and self-centered. It is only during one of his drinking bouts that he first notices his chauffeur Matti, who has been working for him for the past five weeks. He tells him, in all confidence, about his once-a-month fit of sobriety, during which he turns into a beastly animal. The only remedy for such a state is cumin brandy. At first, Matti adheres to his master’s whims and unexpected mood changes, but he grows increasingly critical and defiant.

Translator of the play Mojca Kranjc
Translator of the songs Milan Jesih
Director and Set Designer Nebojša Bradić
Dramaturg Urška Brodar
Costume Designer Maja Nedeljković Davidovac
Musical Arrangements and Vocal Coaching Simon Dvoršak
Choreographers Cvetka Špiljar, Boštjan Špiljar
Language Consultant Jože Volk
Assistant Set and Costume Designer Maja Ballund

Cast
Puntila Renato Jenček
Eva Nina Rakovec
Matti Andrej Murenc
The Waiter Mario Šelih
The Judge Branko Završan
The Attaché Rastko Krošl
The Vet Damjan M. Trbovc
Sly-Grog Emma Lučka Počkaj
The Chemist's Assistant Manca Ogorevc
The Milkmaid Barbara Medvešček
The Telephonist Minca Lorenci
The Fat Man Igor Žužek
The Labourer Igor Sancin / David Čeh (alternate)
The Red-haired Man Vid Klemenc
The Weedy Man Zvone Agrež
Red Surkkala Tarek Rashid
Laina Pia Zemljič
Fina Ana Ruter
The Lawyer Blaž Setnikar
The Parson Bojan Umek
The Parson's Wife Jagoda
Children Kaja Sluga, Matevž Sluga (guest performances)
Musicians
Accordionist Mihael Strniša
Guitarist Aljaž Cvirn

Opening 10 May 2013
Performance duration: 1 hour and 50 minutes. No interval.

Performing rights SUHRKAMP VERLAG GMBH & CO. KG,Pappelallee 78–79, 10437 Berlin, Nemčija, VAT-No. DEI14110089

Lučka Počkaj, Manca Ogorevc, Barbara Medvešček, Minca Lorenci
Branko Završan, Renato Jenček
Branko Završan, Renato Jenček, Mario Šelih
Andrej Murenc, Renato Jenček, Mario Šelih
Branko Završan, Andrej Murenc, Renato Jenček, Mario Šelih
Renato Jenček, Andrej Murenc, Branko Završan, Mario Šelih
Pia Zemljič
Rastko Krošl, Nina Rakovec
Branko Završan, Renato Jenček, Andrej Murenc
Nina Rakovec, Renato Jenček, Andrej Murenc, Branko Završan
Nina Rakovec, Branko Završan, Renato Jenček
Renato Jenček, Lučka Počkaj
Damjan M. Trbovc, Renato Jenček
Manca Ogorevc, Lučka Počkaj, Renato Jenček
Renato Jenček, Manca Ogorevc
Barbara Medvešček, Renato Jenček
Minca Lorenci, Renato Jenček
Pia Zemljič
Vid Klemenc, Igor Žužek, Zvone Agrež, Igor Sancin, Renato Jenček
Vid Klemenc, Andrej Murenc, Zvone Agrež, Igor Sancin, Renato Jenček
Andrej Murenc, Vid Klemenc, Zvone Agrež, Renato Jenček, Igor Sancin
Vid Klemenc, Andrej Murenc, Zvone Agrež, Renato Jenček, Igor Sancin
Zvone Agrež, Renato Jenček, Igor Sancin
Andrej Murenc, Pia Zemljič, Igor Sancin, Renato Jenček, Tarek Rashid, Zvone Agrež, Ana Ruter
Pia Zemljič, Ana Ruter, Renato Jenček, Andrej Murenc, Zvone Agrež
Andrej Murenc, Nina Rakovec
Nina Rakovec, Andrej Murenc
Rastko Krošl, Renato Jenček, Andrej Murenc, Nina Rakovec
Renato Jenček, Nina Rakovec, Rastko Krošl, Andrej Murenc
Pia Zemljič
Andrej Murenc, Branko Završan, Blaž Setnikar, Ana Ruter
Ana Ruter, Andrej Murenc, Blaž Setnikar
Andrej Murenc, Branko Završan, Blaž Setnikar
Andrej Murenc, Nina Rakovec
Renato Jenček, Nina Rakovec
Lučka Počkaj, Manca Ogorevc, Barbara Medvešček, Minca Lorenci
Lučka Počkaj, Manca Ogorevc, Barbara Medvešček, Minca Lorenci
Lučka Počkaj, Manca Ogorevc, Barbara Medvešček, Minca Lorenci, Andrej Murenc
Pia Zemljič, Ana Ruter, Lučka Počkaj, Manca Ogorevc, Andrej Murenc, Barbara Medvešček, Minca Lorenci
Manca Ogorevc, Lučka Počkaj, Andrej Murenc, Barbara Medvešček, Minca Lorenci
Lučka Počkaj
Renato Jenček, Minca Lorenci
Renato Jenček, Manca Ogorevc, Lučka Počkaj, Andrej Murenc, Barbara Medvešček, Minca Lorenci
Lučka Počkaj, Barbara Medvešček, Manca Ogorevc, Minca Lorenci
Pia Zemljič
Rastko Krošl, Jagoda, Bojan Umek, Blaž Setnikar Renato Jenček, Branko Završan
Renato Jenček, Rastko Krošl, Bojan Umek, Blaž Setnikar, Branko Završan
Branko Završan, Renato Jenček, Rastko Krošl, Bojan Umek, Blaž Setnikar
Nina Rakovec, Jagoda, Branko Završan
N. Rakovec, A. Murenc, B. Završan, Jagoda, B. Umek, P. Zemljič, A. Ruter, R. Jenček
Andrej Murenc, Branko Završan, Renato Jenček, Ana Ruter, Bojan Umek
Nina Rakovec, Andrej Murenc, Branko Završan, Jagoda
Blaž Setnikar, Pia Zemljič, Renato Jenček, Bojan Umek
Blaž Setnikar, Renato Jenček, Bojan Umek
Pia Zemljič, Renato Jenček
A. Ruter, P. Zemljič, R. Jenček, A. Murenc, T. Rashid, K. Sluga, M. Sluga
Andrej Murenc, Renato Jenček, Tarek Rashid, Kaja Sluga, Matevž Sluga
Andrej Murenc, Renato Jenček
Ana Ruter, Andrej Murenc, Renato Jenček, Pia Zemljič
Andrej Murenc, Pia Zemljič
Andrej Murenc

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