Itínera Theater is approaching the final episodes of Conferences for a Better World, the preparatory events to our upcoming crowdfunding campaign, and whether by good foresight or organizatory luck, we left the best ones for last. In this Sunday's encounter we are proud to present Else Marie Laukvik, actress and co-founder of Odin Teatret in Holstebro, Denmark, who is also a colleague, mentor, and good friend of two of our members.
Nearly Sixty Years of Theater
Looking back at Else Marie's theater carrier, it is closely linked to that of Odin Teatret, of which she is a founding member. Together with Eugenio Barba she created this company in 1964 in Norway, which soon became populated by members who had failed to be admitted to Oslo State Theatre School. Since then their entire premise was centered on inclusion, inviting artist of the complete artistic spectrum, never rejecting or dismissing any type of work.
At first their facilities were quite limited, forcing the company to rehearse in a bomb shelter in Oslo, until a year later the Danish town of Holstebro invited them to relocate to their municipality. Being offered an entire farm, the theater could not refuse, and since then they have had been living and working in that location. The group is still active today, maintaining a salaried staff of eighteen people, a history of 74 performances, 25 of which are still running today. Most importantly, Odin Teatret has founded and maintained a vast network of organizations, such as their umbrella organization Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium, The International School of Theater Anthropology, and the Centre for Theatre Laboratory Studies. They additionally collaborate closely with universities, such as the University of Bologna and Aarhus University.
Apart from Odin Teatret Else Marie has been working together with several other groups, such as Teatret Marquez of Aarhus, Denmark, another Danish theater Munin Teatret, the Italian companies Teatro Actores Aliados, and Rogo Teatro, among others. She has also worked as a director with the musical trio Cabaret Wagon, and with the theatrical duo Mia & Max.
Close Ties to Itínera Teatro
Twelve years ago, before our own theater group Itínera came into being, two of our founding members, Manuel Ramos and Julia Filippo attended Odin Teatret on a scholarship. The result was a continuous friendship and tight working relationship, which resulted in their first co-production metaMORPHEOsis, a show they took on tour across Latin America. Later, Julia returned to Odin Teatret to create Knots – Rules to be Happily Unhappy, another successful production, she got to perform in several countries all over the world.
Even now, that Itínera is establishing its home site in Mazunte, Mexico, the ties with Odin Teatret and particularly Else Marie remain as strong as ever. She was excited to support this event and come to talk about her life, her work, and her artistic creations. So don't miss this wonderful chance to get to know this famous actress with such rich theatrical background! Take a look at our event page, or you can sign up to our Zoom meeting by following this link. As always, the encounter is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Central Time, which is 5:30 p.m. in Europe.
