A new play exploring the intersection of space and personal stories will premiere at the Dirty Deal Teatro in Riga on February 20th. “Svētvieta” (Sacred Place), marks the professional directorial debut of Mārcis Broks, and features actors Sandija Dovgāne, Uldis Siliņš, and Agate Marija Bukša.
The play centers on Emma, an architecture student preparing her final project presentation. Broks explained the core of the work isn’t simply about spatial design, but Emma’s attempt to understand how a place holds not only history, but also the experiences, longings, and perceptions of the people who have inhabited it. “In Chekhov’s Three Sisters, Olga says, ‘Just a little more, and we will understand why we live.’ There’s something of that in this production, and something about the relationship between people and space,” Broks said.
As Emma delves into the past, individual stories begin to coalesce into a unified experience. The play examines how the search for the past reveals a shared human experience, offering a new perspective on space, memory, and belonging. “We didn’t focus on the historical accuracy of the characters, but on human existence – they experience similar things as we do, and everyone is always thinking about what to do and where to be. A sacred place is where you stop thinking about where to be,” Broks elaborated.
Broks’s connection to the cast members extends back to his studies at the Latvian Academy of Culture. He previously collaborated with Agate Marija Bukša on his graduation work, a production based on a play by Nobel laureate Jon Fosse. He worked with Sandija Dovgāne on a concert performance called “Atkapusvētki,” which toured Latvian bars. His acquaintance with Uldis Siliņš began during his involvement with the opening ceremony of the Latvian Academy of Culture’s Stage and Audiovisual Arts Festival, “Patriarha Rudens,” where Siliņš was one of the hosts.
While “Svētvieta” is Broks’s first professional directorial effort, he has a prior relationship with Dirty Deal Teatro. He previously created a performance during White Night in collaboration with dramaturg Līva Jevdokimova, featuring actress Anna Neli Āboliņa as a witch who hosted guests, offering soup and clay modeling with the hope of bringing the creations to life. “We cooked two huge pots of soup that evening,” Broks recalled.
Since last autumn, Broks has also been performing on the theater’s stage as an actor, appearing in a production directed by Iveta Poles and artist Katrīna Neiburga, titled “Vecajo kults” (The Cult of the Old). “I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to participate in this work, so I became familiar with what’s happening in the theater, and my debut as a director doesn’t create extra stress,” Broks said. He noted that Māra Ķimele, his teacher at the Latvian Academy of Culture, has always emphasized the importance of actors experiencing performance themselves to better understand how to direct others.
Māra Ķimele described Broks as “a young person, a young director with a rich inner world, full of ideas and passion to fulfill them! He possesses curiosity, talent, and great diligence, which guarantees a good result.”
Additional performances of “Svētvieta” are scheduled for February 21st, 22nd, March 13th, and April 24th.
