With its impressive variety of theater, Finland is a superpower of performing arts. Finnish theater, however, is presently a hotbed of cultural debate regarding the artistic quality of its performances. This comprehensive overview of contemporary theater explores many of the most contentious questions concerning applied theater, its devised methods, and the corresponding challenges presented to traditional definitions of theater and related arts. Through interviews with new writers and directors, and first-hand accounts of recent performances, this study attempts to define what it means today to say “Finnish theater.” It also addresses issues concerning Finland’s emergence as a cultural player within the European Union and implications for its evolving national identity.

Jeff Johnson is a playwright and teacher. Recipient of numerous awards, he is the author of four previous books on theater and cinema. He lives in Franklin, North Carolina.

Jeff Johnson
Foreword by Hanna-Leena Helavuori
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 215
Bibliographic Info: 34 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4860-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5671-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      v
Foreword by Hanna-Leena Helavuori      1
Preface: Down the Avanto      7

1. Identity Branding, Amateurs and Outlaws      17
2. Inside the Sauna Psyche: Influences and Isolation      36
3. Beyond Nokialandia: The Post-Political Critique of Neo-Liberalism      69
4. The Cult of Primitivism: Old Themes, New Forms      107
5. Performing in the Duck Pond: Finland-Swedish Theatre      144

Afterword      184
Works Cited      193
Index      197