Stella Polaris

The First and foremost improvisation theatre in Finland

Stella Polaris is an improvisation theatre in Helsinki, established in 1990. At that time a few bold actors of the Municipal Theatre of Espoo decided to take a leap into the big unknown – the wonderful world of improvisation theatre. They founded a group, became acquainted with the doctrines of the improv master Keith Johnstone and got Stella Polaris started.

Nowadays Stella Polaris consists of thirteen actors, four musicians, four light designers and one producer.

If Stella Polaris had an artistic manifesto, risk taking and commitment would be direct quotations from it. The development from the first embryos of impro-visation to the full-length improvised plays of today is an indication of their artisticambition. Risk taking is a necessity in improv. It issimultaneously improvisation’s foundation, starting point and the vehicle.

The fact that today a considerable share of the activity of Stella Polaris consists of training others tells about the strong know-how of the group. One could playfully say that Stella Polaris is the Alma Mater of the Finnish improvisation theatre – a significant share of theFinnish improv groups have gotten their start by having been trained by Stella Polaris.

The education consists of improv courses for beginning groups and others who are interested, advanced courses for advanced learners and interaction courses for companies, schools – or anyone. There are not that many professions left that Stella Polaris has not taught the fineness of acceptance and the ability to laugh at one’s self. Stella Polaris performs and teaches all around Finland.

Stella Polaris is also closely in touch with foreign groups and participates in foreign festivals. The group continuously participates indifferent courses and workshops as well as arranges them.

Performing styles

Improvised plays, long stories

Four to five actors, a musician, a light designer. No script, no plans, no nothing. This is the starting point of Stella Polaris' super popular full-length plays. Two hours later: the audience has experienced a complete surprising, amusing / tragic, moving / exciting performance.

In the beginning there is a word. The word is given by the audience. It is a title for a story, a direction for it. And then, a leap into the unknown...

Stella Polaris has developed this format since the middle of the 1990s and its popularity has
been tremendous

Flow

Improv with no limits! Totally organic, authentic and unforgettable experience for both players and the audience. No preplanning, no techniques agreed, forget Aristoteles - just pure improv in action, see how the group mind works in its unlimited ways through the realm of imagination, shifting from poetry to scenework, mixing movement and speech, converting emotions to songs, mixing styles and improv techniques in a totally unpredictable performance called: FLOW

The actors

The Stella Polaris actors work in theatre, film, TV and radio as free lance actors, and keep up the Stella Polaris improv skills by regular training, that is, trust and joy, creative stage specialities, music and movement. Alongside with regular and irregular performances the group also does a lot of improv training in a varuety of fields and also within the theatre and art academies.

Actors

Teijo Eloranta, Sari Siikander, Elina Stirkkinen, Simo Routarinne, Sari Havas, Jami Hyttinen, Kirsti Kuosmanen, Micke Rejström, Outi Mäenpää, Tiina Pirhonen, Tobias Zilliacus, Pihla Penttinen and Ville TIihonen

Musicians

Ilkka Talasranta, Iiro Ollila, Jouni Kannisto and Hannu Risku

Sound & Light Design

Jari Piitulainen, Marianne Nyberg, Jussi Pekkanen, Ainu Palmu

Producer Kaarina Etto

International links

Stella Polaris is part of an international improvisation network, which explores and develops different forms of improvisation. Visiting performances by international groups and international improv education sessions form a core part of our activities. We have received improv training in USA, Canada, Norway, Holland, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden and Belgium.

Stella Polaris has also taken part in international improvisation competitions - Theatresports™. The Improvisation World Games were arranged by the theatre in 2000 and this was an important milestone in the development of the theatre's international activities. Furthermore, Stella has hosted and taken part in the Nordic Improv Games.

A few links

Improvisation Improvisation&Co a Swedish impro theatre group founded in 1996.
They present all kinds of impro: Gorilla, Theatre sport, Superscenes but most of all different kind of long forms. The group consists of skilled and experienced improvisers and musicians.

True Fiction Magazine (TFM), based in the US, is extremely talented at building full-length plays regardless of genre. The theatre masters any style from horror to comedy, from scifi to cheese.

The Canadian improv theatre Loose Moose founded the Theatresports™ games. This is an energetic group with an all-comprising range of styles, improv techniques and talent.

For further information about the theatre games (Theatresports™) and improvisation visit:
www.theatresports.org
www.improvland.com

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