Sara Margrethe Oskal
Photo: Harry Johansen
Sara Margrethe Oskal graduated from Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Faculty of Performing Arts in spring 2010 with the project "Sami jester tradition in joik and storytelling and contemporary stage expressions".
The actress has in her artistic research project been exploring the traditional humor in the Sami culture. She investigated the humor in traditional stories and in yoik, and tried to find out if it could be transferred to and used in contemporary theater.
The Whole Caboodle
Oskal created a funny performance based on the humor she found in yoik and Saami stories. The one-woman show "Guksin Guollemuorran - The Whole Caboodle" is created within the old tradition of the jester. A jester digs into unpleasant matters, blows the whistle on things that need to be criticized, and brings forth what is concealed.
Oskal has taken traditional humorous stories, myths, sayings and yoiks and created three characters of today who grew out of that material: the Maidie, Reindeer Snoop Deer, and Granny. They all became people with complicated, deep emotions and important stories to tell. They have all been stepped on and denigrated, but in the course of their moment on the stage they become jesters. They all start off as losers and end up as winners.
She performs in a minority language, Sami, but she has developed a means to break through the language barrier. Like a magician she runs a continuous translation, line by line, joke by joke, yoik by yoik, with my Power Point. This act of translation is completely integrated into the performance and has become an artistic tool. It looks like magic and has become part of the trappings of the jester. Thus this modern Saami jester can still improvise, be in charge of the timing on stage AND communicate for real with an audience in any language: Russian? Norwegian? Finnish? English? French? - you name it.
This invention, where the solo actress is in complete control of the translation in a manner totally integrated into the performance, would be of interest for other performers who want to act in their own language for an international audience.
The final appraisal
To appraise the artistic research, the following appraisal committee was appointed:
- Asko Sarkola (Finland), actor and theatre manager at Helsingfors Stadsteater
- Hanne Gløtvold Tømta (Norway), director and theatre manager at Nationaltheatret, Oslo
- Nils Gaup (Norway), director
Main supervisor for the project has been Thea Stabell, director and professor in acting at Oslo National Academy of the Arts. Harriett Nordlund, actress, director and playwright was the second supervisor.
Homepage: www.smrax.com
Contact Sara Margrethe Oskal on e-mail: sara.margrethe.oskal@smrax.com