The Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC), founded in 1990 in Riga, is a leading higher education institution dedicated to performing arts, film, and cultural studies in Latvia.
The National School of Performing Arts of the LAC offers BA and MA programmes specializing in Acting, Directing, Dramaturgy, and Contemporary Dance. The Academy fosters an open and dynamic environment for study, research, and artistic creativity that enables the growth of outstanding cultural personalities.
Guided by the values of creativity, openness, and collaboration, LAC unites classical theatre traditions with contemporary artistic exploration. LAC actively supports student participation in national and international festivals and creative projects, encouraging collaboration and exchange within a wider performing arts community.
Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers
This performance is distinguished by its sparkling humour, grotesque characters, and a sharp portrayal of life’s absurdities. The performance is centred on dynamic, physical acting marked by rapid tempo and emotional intensity. The Dreamers offers an ironic reflection on reality, boldly engaging with current social issues and weaving them into an exciting theatrical experience.
Director Kārlis Krūmiņš explains: “The performance tells the story of a family embroiled in a dispute over inheritance. In this family, the rules are dictated by the mother. She has three sons – two clever ones, and the third… The story is funny, grotesque, tragic, but – as, befits a comedy – with a happy ending. The genre of commedia dell’arte is typically associated with masked performance, but less often seen as a contemporary theatrical form. In this work, we are, in a way, reinventing the wheel – creating our own version of the genre with new masks, characters, scripts, and rules – in the hope that this approach brings us closer to the essence of commedia dell’arte in a contemporary context.”
Length of production: 60 minutes
Venue: Studio Marta
Release dates: 17.4. 14:45; 15.4. 18:00
Production language: Latvian, English subtitles
