Lauri Maijala, who is moving from KOM theater to Lahti, believes that Lahti has good opportunities to compete for viewers in the top tier of cities. In the future, the theater must also reach young people.
Maijalan, who is moving to Lahti from KOM theater, will most certainly be found at Q theater at the end of the year, where he is currently directing the play *The Pimpsons*. The name refers to the wacky animated series The Simpsons.
Lahti’s location and transport connections are an advantage
\”Lukkarinrakkaus kaupunki\” attracted Lauri Maijala to Lahti.
In Lahti, the new theater director was also interested in resources bigger than KOM. He is not going to become a renovator. According to Maijala, the discussions with various parties have been promising.
– If, for example, the new manager wants to put a little extra effort into the nest, we’ve been open to that. I wouldn’t have dared to go to any crisis center.
According to Maijala, Lahti has good opportunities to compete for viewers in the top tier of theaters.
– \\Ilkka\\ Laasonen has done a good job. It is good to continue to grow upwards from it. My bigger goal is to put Lahti in a healthy competition with Turku and Tampere, for example.
Maijala considers Lahti’s advantage to be, among other things, the location. The city is within easy reach of both Helsinki and elsewhere.
He also finds room for growth in the audience base. The patronage of theaters is generally known to be middle-aged and older.
Maijala reminds that the theater must educate new viewers and make plays that also interest children and young people.
– It must be taken into account in everything: in how theater is marketed, how it is talked about, what is the meaning of theater and what is its \”instability\”.
The threshold for going to the theater is lower
Even in Lahti, Maijala intends to be faithful to her vision of art and theater. For him, it means that theater must be bold and unapologetic. He believes that his own line will become clearer through future steering works.
– Some have been worried, for example, whether Lahti will stop making musicals, but I love musicals! I’ve been going to see them since I was a kid in London and elsewhere.
Alongside the Kaupunginteatteri’s own strong crew of artists, Maijala plans to raise meritorious and well-known names as well as new ones from outside the house. He considers it important that theater dares to take risks and give space to actors at the beginning of their careers.
– After Corona, for example, it has been difficult for artists who graduated from Teatterikorkeakoulu to put aside work and catch up. It would be great if a future star had started his career at the Lahti City Theatre.
According to Maijala, the corona era has also forced theaters to think about their own future and appreciation.
– Korona showed that in times of need we are pretty down-to-earth. In all its awfulness, it has been a good wake-up call for theater makers that we must follow our times.
Maijala wants to destroy theater-related images and lower the threshold of coming to the theater.
– It is related to the repertoire, but also to perceptions, for example, that you should dress better for the theater, drink sherry during the interval and go to enjoy dinner after the performance.
Going to the theater should be made as easy as going to the movies.
– I’ve gone to the theater in a hoodie and pizzas on my breasts. I’m embarrassed to go to the opera like that.
*You can discuss the topic until 23:00 on Monday 28 November 2022.*