Portfolio
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SEITSEMÄN TARINAA HÄPEÄSTÄ
Written by the multi-award-winning Icelandic playwright Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson, Seven Stories of Shame (Icelandic: Sjö ævintýri um skömm) premiered at the Icelandic National Theatre in 2022 and became a theatrical phenomenon.
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PUNAISIN RUUSU PUHKEAA KUKKAAN
A visually striking comedy about love, fear of commitment, and getting over heartbreak.
The Redest Rose Blooms is based on Liv Strömquist’s 2019 graphic novel of the same name. -
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SOLARIS
“I find this new stage adaptation of the sci-fi classic phenomenal. I’m especially intrigued by humanity’s relationship with nature. Could beings other than humans have a self? That question feels very timely through the lens of the climate crisis.” - Ona Korpiranta
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SINÄ PÄIVÄNÄ KUN LUOJA TEKI ISÄN
The performance is a bitingly funny and touching play about missing your father and trying to love someone. Dad walked out when Moona was just a little girl. Since then she and Mom have been stuck between the local Pentacostal church and a criminal gang.
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OTHELLO
The performance deals with socioeconomic and gender based inequality. The stage consists of a dystopia of Finnish future, with war and corruption.
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LEIPÄKORIN MUOTOINEN TYTTÖ
Leipäkorin muotoinen tyttö is about the need to be acknowledged by others, the role of parenting and eating disorder. It is a coming of age story about a young woman Johanna who asks herself: “Why did I start to suffer from an eating disorder?”.
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DEAD STÄNDING HÄNGERS
Dead Ständing Hängers is a performance that focuses on the relationship between Hamlet and his mother Gertrude. In this modernization Hamlet’s family has been alienated from society and they run a criminal organization now led by his mother Gertrude.
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SEITSEMÄN TARINAA HÄPEÄSTÄ
Venue: Kom-teatteri, KOM Theatre (2024)
Premiere: 11. September 2024
A Wild Journey to the Heart of the Arctic Mind
The Finnish premiere at KOM Theatre of the Icelandic hit play.
Young police officer Agla (Isla Mustanoja) barges into a psychiatrist’s (Juho Milonoff) session in the middle of seeing another patient. She demands medication. A lot of it. She’s experienced something awful and just wants to sleep and forget. But the psychiatrist doesn’t let her off that easily—he claims to have found a method to cure shame completely.
Agla’s memories and past stories drag her from the 1970s to the present day, from her grandmother (Satu Silvo) in Florida back to cold Iceland. Seven Stories of Shame boldly and refreshingly tackles intergenerational issues—the ones we silence, medicate, and that eventually come at a high cost.
Written by the multi-award-winning Icelandic playwright Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson, Seven Stories of Shame (Icelandic: Sjö ævintýri um skömm) premiered at the Icelandic National Theatre in 2022 and became a theatrical phenomenon at home. The Finnish-language premiere at KOM Theatre opens on 11 September 2024, with performances continuing through 14 December 2024.
Working Group
Original play: Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson
Director: Ona Korpiranta
Sound design: Jani Rapo
Set and video design: Janne Vasama
Costume design: Riitta-Maria Vehmann
Light design: Julia Jäntti & Tomi Suovankoski
Make-up & hair design: Leila Mäkynen
Assistant Director: Vili Nissinen
Intimacy Choreographer: Sara-Maria Heinonen
Translation: Káru Tulenius & Vilja-Tuulia Huotarinen
Photography: Janne Vasama
Actors:
Isla Mustanoja, Juho Milonoff, Satu Silvo, Katja Kuttner, Tuuli Paju, Youssef Alkhatib
You can request a link for a video by email.
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PUNAISIN RUUSU PUHKEAA KUKKAAN
Venue: Oulun kaupunginteatteri, Pieni näyttämö, Oulu City Theatre (2024)
Premiere: 3. March 2024
A Comedy About the Search of Love’s True Essence
A visually striking comedy about love, fear of commitment, and getting over heartbreak.
The Redest Rose Blooms is based on Liv Strömquist’s 2019 graphic novel of the same name.
When Liv Strömquist’s boyfriend suddenly leaves her, the cartoonist sets out to discover why romantic relationships seem to fail so often today. Along the way, she consults with philosopher Byung-Chul Han, sociology professor Eva Illouz, psychoanalyst Lou Andreas-Salomé, and theologian-philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.
The performance explores love and romance in the age of late capitalism, blending research and humor while drawing on scientific theories, historical figures, and pop culture icons—from Leonardo DiCaprio to the philosophers of Ancient Greece.
Director and dramaturg Ona Korpiranta brings the graphic novel—and the universal theme of love—to the stage in a fresh, vivid way. The Redest Rose Blooms does not offer answers, but perspectives. This is a performance for everyone who feels. It is the Finnish premiere of Liv Strömquist’s work.
“Young guest director Ona Korpiranta, with the strong support of her team, tackles all the theories in the hefty 170-page graphic novel, from Ancient Greek philosophers to Beyoncé’s hit song Irreplaceable. The aim is to turn explanations into flesh. The result is delightfully funny and gloriously open to interpretation. The graphic novel The Redest Rose Blooms truly blooms on stage.”
– Eeva Kauppinen, Kaleva, 6 March 2024
“The actors juggle the text’s shifting perspectives with energetic precision. Of particular note is Heli Haapalainen as sociologist Eva Illouz. As Strömquist, Elina Ylisuvanto brings a final surge of emotion to the knowledge-heavy whole.”
– Tenka Issakainen, Kaltio 1/2024
“Strömquist’s panels translate beautifully to the stage, as the Finnish premiere at Oulu Theatre shows. Director Ona Korpiranta (b. 1993) is also the dramaturg of the piece. One of Korpiranta’s sharpest choices is to turn the book’s omniscient narrator into the play’s protagonist—cartoonist Liv (Elina Ylisuvanto).”
– Minna Kontkanen, Suomen Kuvalehti, 19 September 2024
Working Group
Original comic: Liv Strömquist
Adaptation written by: Ona Korpiranta
Director: Ona Korpiranta
Light design: Olivia Pohjola
Sound design: Antti Kainulainen
Set design: Kalle Nurminen
Costume design: Onerva Luoma
Video design: Sanna Malkavaara
Make-up & hair design: Eija Juutisenaho
Fight Choreographer: Oula Kitti
Photography: Kati Leinonen
Actors:
Elina Ylisuvanto, Jaana Kahra, Elviira Kujala, Markus Ilkka Uolevi, Sami Lalou, Heli Haapalainen, Jaakko Raudaskoski, Anne Syysmaa, Valtteri Aaltonen, Aki Pelkonen, Mirjami Kukkola, Oliver Kollberg
You can request a link for a video by email.
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SOLARIS
Venue: Turun kaupunginteatteri, Pieni näyttämö, Turku City Theatre (2023)
Premiere: 1. September 2023
“It has no soul”
“The sound is ocean, and the ocean is Solaris.”
In this science-fantasy play, a distant planet surprises the astronauts studying it in chilling ways.
Three astronauts conduct research on the fascinating planet Solaris from a space station. When one of them dies, researcher Kelvin (Sara Paasikoski) arrives from the Solaris Institute to investigate. The planet appears to possess supernatural abilities, sending the astronauts manifestations of people from their pasts. This disturbs their minds, challenges their understanding and ethics.
Based on the video logs left by Gib (Kimmo Rasila), Solaris seems to crave love from humans. According to Sartorius (Kirsi Tarvainen), it regards them as prey. Snow (Matti Leino) unsettles the others’ thoughts. The strongest effect is on Kelvin, who is visited by her deceased ex, Ray (Markus Ilkka Uolevi). As everyone struggles to retain control in this strange situation, it leads to dangerous confrontations aboard the station. Could the planet possess consciousness? What does mysterious Solaris truly contain?
“I find this new stage adaptation of the sci-fi classic phenomenal. I’m especially intrigued by humanity’s relationship with nature. Could beings other than humans have a self? That question feels very timely through the lens of the climate crisis.”
– director Ona Korpiranta
A New Stage Version of the Sci‑Fi Classic
The play was written in 2019 by David Greig and translated into Finnish by Aleksi Milonoff. Originally a novel by Stanisław Lem (1961) and a film by Andrei Tarkovsky (1972), this psychological sci‑fi explores humanity’s relationship with the unknown. This young creative team also focuses on humanity’s need for control and dependency on others.
Working Group
Written by: David Greig
Director: Ona Korpiranta
Light design: Jari Sipilä
Sound design: Jari Tengström
Set design: Riku Suvitie
Costume design: Tuomas Lampinen
Video design: Sanna Malkavaara
Make-up design: Petriina Suomela
Intimacy Choreographer: Sara-Maria Heinonen
Fight Choreographer: Iiro Heikkilä
Photography: Otto-Ville Väätäinen
Actors:
Markus Ilkka Uolevi, Sara Paasikoski, Matti Leino, Kimmo Rasila, Kirsi Tarvainen, Anna Räikkönen, Aili Kumara
You can request a link for a video by email.
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SINÄ PÄIVÄNÄ KUN LUOJA TEKI ISÄN
Venue: Tampereen Teatterikesä 2021, Q-teatteri (2020)
Premiere: 11. March 2020
”Your father is not perfect.”
Dad walked out when Moona was just a little girl. Since then she and Mom have been stuck between the local Pentacostal church and a criminal gang. Suddenly Dad comes back.
The Day God Created Fathers is a bitingly funny and touching play about missing your father and trying to love someone. In this thesis piece for her MA at the Theatre Academy, writer-director Ona Korpiranta perfectly captures the confusion of her twenty-year-old subject.
How to survive when you’re surrounded by adults who have never grown up? How to break the curses accumulated over several generations – with a baseball bat or with forgiveness?
”A group of next-gen theatremakers paints a moving and bittersweet family portrait with lively comic-book strokes. Wenla Reimaluoto delivers an astonishingly balanced performance that is both exactly on point and totally out there.”
– Festival Artistic Team, Tampere Theatre Festival
Working Group
Writer and Director: Ona Korpiranta
Light design: Jaakko Sirainen
Sound design: Iida Hägglund
Set design: Päivi Lehtinen
Costume design: Onerva Luoma
Assistant director: Aamu Milonoff
Photography: Roosa Oksaharju & Sara Urbanski
Actors:
Sami Harjula, Joel Hirvonen, Hannu Kivioja, Elviira Kujala, Ville Mikkonen, Sara Paasikoski, Rebekka Palanne, Wenla Reimaluoto & Asta Sveholm
You can request a link for a video by email.
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OTHELLO
Venue: Lahti Academy of Liberal and Fine Arts
Premiere: 22. March 2019
The performance deals with socioeconomic and gender based inequality. The stage consists of a dystopia of Finnish future, with war and corruption. In the heart of the story there is a true love story.
“Take note, take note, O world, / To be direct and honest is not safe"
Working Group
Play: William Shakespeare (Rossi)
Director: Ona Korpiranta
Assistant directors: Roosa Vuokkola & Roosa Honkanen
Choreography: Meri-Tuuli Risberg
Music: Emma Johansson & Virva Immonen
Stage Combat: Eero-Heikki Puustinen
Graphic design: Vincent Kinnunen
Photography: Elisa Kohtanen & Sami Kuusivirta (first photo)
Production design: Working group
Acting teachers: Timo Raita & Aleksi Lavaste
Actors:
Evita Aaltonen, Veera Anttila, Nella Backman, Carita Hiltunen, Roosa Honkanen, Emma Johansson, Valtteri Juvonen, Esme Kaislakari, Ilona Karppelin, Ronja Keiramo, Vincent Kinnunen, Christian Lairikko, Tiia Lyijynen, Sauli Pietarinen, Emma Pälsynaho, Ida Riikonen, Clarissa Rosi, Melina Tolppala, Vilma Tuomi & Roosa Vuokkola
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LEIPÄKORIN MUOTOINEN TYTTÖ
Venue: Studio 4, Theatre Academy Helsinki
Premiere: 16 April 2018
"What do you think?
What was it that made you ill?"
Leipäkorin muotoinen tyttö is about the need to be acknowledged by others, the role of parenting and eating disorder. It is a coming of age story about a young woman Johanna who asks herself: “Why did I start to suffer from an eating disorder?”. The scenes in the play are constructed through answering this question in various past situations in Johanna’s life.
The central elements are childhood family atmosphere and Johanna’s relationship to her parents. The writer describes the different ways a child seeks for their parents’ attention and love, and what consequences it may have when those things are not available. The play is a description of the experience of being abandoned but on a larger spectrum it asks important questions about our current society. In what ways do we take care of each other? When does a person become truly visible to others and when/why they do not?
Leipäkorin muotoinen tyttö aims to open a conversation about eating disorders and their prevalence. The playwright claims that eating disorders are deeply embedded in our culture which is actualized in increasing cases of distorted relationship to food and body image. This subject touches so many of us but yet it has not been dealt with too often within the arts or in general. The core perspective in the play is that an eating disorder is easily bypassed by the person suffering from it and also the people around them because of the invisibility of the illness.
Working Group
Writer: Onerva Hannula
Director: Ona Korpiranta
Light and video design: Veli-Ville Sivén
Music and sound design: Atte Kantonen
Set design: Veli-Ville Sivén
Costume design: Atte Kantonen with working group
Photography: Sanni Siira
Actors:
Katriina Sinisalo, Pyry Kähkönen, Alex Anton & Marko Nurmi
You can request a link for a video by email.
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DEAD STÄNDING HÄNGERS
Dead Ständing Hängers is a performance that focuses on the relationship between Hamlet and his mother Gertrude. In this modernization Hamlet’s family has been alienated from society and they run a criminal organization now led by his mother Gertrude. The main themes are social exclusion, parenthood and abandonment. This theatre piece mixes principles of documentary theatre, cartoon style and fantasy elements. The dystopian performance is set in the near-future. The actual scenes of the play draw from true life experiences from individuals that have been “through the system” or brought up in families that are involved in organized crime.
“Mother, for love of grace,.
Lay not that flattering unction to your soul. That not your trespass but my madness speaks.”
Working Group
Inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet.
Writer: Camilla Rantanen with the working group
Director: Ona Korpiranta
Set design: Ruusa Johansson
Sound design: Oula Rytkönen
Costume design: Laura Havimo
Photography: Laura Havimo
Actors:
Veera Herranen, Jutta Järvinen, Emil Khilström & Aapo Puusti
You can request a link for a video by email.
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OVER HER DEAD BODY
Venue: Kallio Stage
Premiere: 3. May 2021
Over her dead body is a stage fairytale about a person named Woman who ends up in a mysterious forest. In the woods she encounters a corpse of a young girl that has been murdered, and a Narrator who is telling the story about that girl. The Woman decides to interviene in the course of events. She asks herself: How can I help that young girl? Does that mean that the Narrator must die?
The play deals with experiencing sexual violence, taking over one’s own story, alliance, corporality and questions related to gender and representation. It asks in what way experiences of violence should be presented, who should present them and what is the role of a victim in a world where one’s own death is seen as picturesque and beautiful.
Working Group
Writer and Director: Onerva Hannula
Light design: Mikko Hirvonen
Sound design: Iida Hägglund
Set design: Anastasia Paretskoi
Costume design: Katri Nikkola
Make up Artist: Liis Mitjan
Graphic design and Photography: Meri Hiironen
Actors:
Woman - Henna Wallin, Corpse - Saana Rautavaara, Narrator - Talvikki Eerola, Owl - Ona Korpiranta, Fox - Reetta Koskinen, Bear - Emelie Zilliacus & Mouse - Mathilda Kruse
