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Banuta Rubess

A Canadian Rhodes Scholar with a doctorate in history, Banuta Rubess is a writer and director for theatre, opera, radio and film. Originally from Latvia, Rubess has lived and worked extensively in Canada. She received her education at Queens University in Kingston ( BA Hons in History and Drama) and at Oxford ( D.Phil in Modern History). From 1995-98 Rubess acted as Artistic Co-Director for FROTH productions; a company devoted to theatre involving the human body, the body politic and live music.Together with Neil Bartlett, Rubess founded The 1982 Theater Company, an international theatre ensemble. Together they tourse Europe and North America with collectively devised productions of Aspazija, Brecht and Fo (1982-1984). Rubess gives lectures and seminars at Universities in Canada, USA , Latvia and Englland and was a member of the Toronto Arts Council Board of Directors 1989-93 as well as the Nightwood Theater Board of Directors 1986-88.

Author: Annika Salomonsson

annika.salomonsson@intercult.se

Works

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Escape From Troy ( SEAS Project)

Production / Performance,

2004

A site-specific theatre performance developed in collaboration with composer Nic Gotham. Based on the ancient tragedy "Trojan Women" and on Latvian history. Every day there is news of war. Iraq, Sierra Leone, Afganistan - the list goes on. As politicians pose on distant tv screens, millions of people pack their belongings and run, not knowing where they will end up. For Latvians this is a familiar story. Will it ever end? Can we escape Troy? Five actors, a local choir and a brass band on a beach ask once again this ancient question. ESCAPE FROM TROY was part of SEAS Events 2004. It was performed in Karaosta (Latvia). The film version of that performance was presented at the SEAS Events in Gdansk (Poland) and Ljubljana (Slovenia). In 2005, Escape from Troy will be presented on the Swedish island Götland in august in connection with the SEAS Event in Stockholm (31 aug - 4 sep). Götland was the location of a migration tragedy shortly after World War II: the Soviet Union claimed back the Latvian refugees who had fled their burning home cities, crambled in boats, during the war. Sweden sent most of the Latvian refugees back, dooming them to be thrown in Gulag by the Soviet regime. Escape from Troy will reflect on this painful for both Latvians and Swedes memory.