Representation of the Collective Memory in the Contemporary Latvian Theatre: A Few Recent Examples
This essay examines the representation of twentieth-century Latvia in contemporary Latvian theatre, with a particular focus on the events of the last decade of Soviet occupation (1980–90). The subject of the research encompasses several recent theatrical productions that have been staged in Latvian theatres, with a particular focus on the production entitled Us, Rock, Sex and the USSR. It is noteworthy that the creative team responsible for this production have not themselves experienced the Soviet occupation at a conscious age. The objective of this research is to identify the manifestations of collective memory across generations, based on the theoretical frameworks of post-memory and cultural trauma, and to elucidate the relationship between the concepts of collective memory and national identity as represented on stage. The study concludes that the trauma experienced by parents and grandparents as a dramaturgical theme represents an attempt to shape collective memory. This is characterised by a desire to understand the traumatic past of previous generations, but not necessarily to identify with these experiences. The projection of the past in the productions, the article claims, serves as a moral reconciliation with historical experience, while also acknowledging the traumatic lessons of previous generations. The challenge for the new generation is to reconcile these two opposing perspectives.
Date
30.12.2024.
Keywords
collective memory, post-memory, cultural trauma, national identity, Soviet occupation, Latvian drama
DOI
2409-7411
Hyperlink
https://www.critical-stages.org/30/representation-of-the-collective-memory-in-the-contemporary-latvian-theatre-a-few-recent-examples/
