Chaos

Sofia is a teacher, married and a mother of two small children. She is extremely upset because of the new principal’s views and the signals about the school closing. Julia is a psychotherapist who contrary to the basic tenet regarding the relationship to her patients carelessly begins an affair with one of them. Her sister Emmi is a journalist who failed to solve her marriage crisis and now faces a divorce that includes a bitter custody battle. All three are modern women who experience difficult life changes that push them into the states of uncontrollable behaviour. They feel they’re losing control of their lives. They’re not only concerned about their personal issues, but also about the many problems created by the contemporary market-oriented and often heatless society. Despite the differences in their characters and at times ruthless honesty, their friendship gives them power to overcome their distress, no matter how difficult. And even in the most horrible situations, they always find some place for humour.

Mika Myllyaho (1966) is a Finnish playwright, director and actor. As a playwright, he is best known for his trilogy Panic (Paniikki, 2005), Chaos (Kaaos, 2008) and Harmony (Harmonia, 2009). In all three plays, he underlines the struggle of the individual with the demands of the modern society, which defines increasingly more narrowly, harshly and often cruelly how we should live. Myllyaho is one of the most translated and internationally acclaimed Finnish playwrights; his trilogy was translated into many languages. Chaos is his most staged play in Finland, and it was also staged in other European countries. The author will be introduced to Slovenia in the direction by Diego de Brea who returns to the Nova Gorica stage after fifteen years, having already created some acclaimed productions here, such as Exit the King, Arabian Night and je A Scandal in St Florain’s Valley / Depravity in St. Florian's Valley.

Where is this happy man anyway? Something is seriously wrong in our society. Happiness, faltering or indomitable, the pressure is too great. The demands we place on ourselves are absolutely disproportionate. Life can be simpler and life has the widest possible framework. Life itself can be wonderful, that's how we should take it anyway, but we find that difficult to do. I would even say: we are afraid of our own happiness.

Diego de Brea

We would like to thank Gregory Crewdson for permission to include four of his photographs in the performance:

Gregory Crewdson, Untitled, 2003-2008, Digital pigment print, image size 57 x 88 in. (144.78 x 223.52 cm) ©Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson, The Basement, 2014, Digital pigment print, Image size 37.5 x 50 in. (92.25 x 127 cm) ©Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson, The Den, 2013, Digital pigment print, Image size 37.5 x 50 in. (92.25 x 127 cm) ©Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson, Untitled, 1998-2002, Digital C-Print, Image size 48 x 60 in. (121.9 x 152.4 cm) ©Gregory Crewdson

This production is made possible with the financial support of Theatre Info Finland TINFO