Cecilie Løveid

Cecilie Løveid (born August 21 1951 in Mysen in Eidsberg and raised in Bergen) is a Norwegian playwright, novelist and poet. She lives in Bergen, after many years in Copenhagen, and beside her work as a writer, she teaches writing at The Academy of Creative Writing in Hordaland.

Løveid has received several, awards including The Gyldendal Award (2001), The Amalie Skram Award (2000), The Norwegian Ibsen Award AKA The Ibsen Prize (for Austria, 1999), The Doublog Prize (1990), The Aschehoug Award (1984) and Prix Italia (1983), the latter for the audio play Seagull Eaters. She was poet in residence during Bergen International Festival in 1991. A theatre production based on her Roadkills was nominated for The Hedda Award 2012 in the best production for children and youth category. With Tore Vagn Lid, Cecilie Løveid received The Hedda Award 2016 in the best stage text category for Our Power/Our Glory (The National Stage 2016).

Jon Tombre (direction) and Cecilie Løveid (text) won Norwegian Critics' Award for theatre 2013/2014 for The Showing, The National Theatre.

Information

(Objekt ID 2214)
Object type Person
Born August 21, 1951
Functions Author, Dramatist/Playwright
Nationality Norwegian
Gender Female
Adresse Bergen
Website Cecilie Løveid
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Cecilie Løveid's stage debut as a playwright took place at The National Stage in Bergen with Vinteren revner* (Winter tears) in 1982. Torunn Ystaas directed it. The same year the audio play Seagull Eaters, directed by Nicole Macé, with music by Synne Skouen, was broadcast by Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). Later on Macé has also directed audio performances of Løveid's Sapfokjolen* (The Dress of Sappho, 1985) and Fødsel er musikk* (Birth is music, a radio theatre version of Balansedame* (Woman of Balance), 1998).

Balansedame, directed by Hilda Hellwig, had its world premiere at Teater Aurora in Stockholm in 1985. The next year Bentein Baardson directed the world premiere of Fornuftige dyr* (Sensible animals) at The National Stage in Bergen. Anette Grønneberg directed Double Delight, with its world premiere at Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)/Centralteatret in 1988. Tiden mellom tidene* (The Time between Times, AKA Paradisprosjektet* (The Paradise Project)) was performed for the first time by the independent theatre company Lilith, with its world premiere at Black Box Teater in Oslo in 1990, directed by Carl Jørgen Kiønig.

The historical play Barock Friise* (Baroque Frieze) had its world premiere during Bergen International Festival in 1991, also directed by Kiønig. The play Maria Q or Maria Quisling about Maria Quisling, had its world premiere at The National Theatre in 1994, directed by Kjetil Bang-Hansen. The Rhinemaidens had its world premiere at The National Stage in 1996, directed by Kai Johnsen.

Austria, inspired by Ibsen's Brand, had its world premiere at The National Theatre in 1998, directed by Jon Tombre. Tombre also directed Kattejomfruen* (The Cat Maiden) for Trøndelag Theatre in 2002, the opera Ophelias: Death by Water Singing, with music by Henrik Hellstenius and world premiere during The Ultima Festival in 2005, Roadkills, world premiere at Akershus Theatre in 2011, and The Showing, written in 2005, and with its world premiere at The National Theatre in 2014.

Cecilie Løveid has written several audio plays: Mannen som ville ha alt* (The man who wanted everything, directed by Knut Johansen, NRK 1977), Du, bli her!* (You, stay here!, directed by Erik Blindheim, NRK 1980), Hvide Lam og Lille Tigerinde* (White Lamb and Little Tigress, a documentary drama based on letters between Ole Bull and Felicité Bull, directed by Jahn Erik Joveng, NRK 1980), Lydia (directed by Hilde Andersen, NRK 1984) and Vift* (Wave, directed by Ola B. Johannessen, NRK 1985).

Besides she has written a number of texts for performance art and dance productions.

Her poem Rye (Norwegian: Rug) from 1983 is one of the Norwegian poems included in most anthologies, and as such one of the most often analysed poems in Norway. The poetry collections Flytterester (literally: Leftovers from moving) and Nye ritualer (literally: New Rituals) were both nominated for The Brage Award, in 2012 and 2008 respectively.

Norwegian bibliography:

  • Skuespill 3 (Literally: Plays 3. Drama collection with the plays Vinteren revner* (Winter tears), Fornuftige dyr* (Sensible Animals), Double Delight, and Tiden mellom tidene eller Paradisprosjektet* (The Time between Times or The Paradise Project), Kolon, 2014)
  • Dikt 2001-2013 (Literally: Poems 2001-2013, poetry, Kolon, 2013)
  • Flytterester (Literally: Leftovers from moving, poetry, Kolon, 2012)
  • Skuespill 2 (Literally: Plays 2. Drama collection with the plays The Showing, Austria and Balansedame* (Woman of Balance), Kolon, 2011)
  • Svartere bunader (Literally: Blacker bunads, poetry, Kolon, 2010)
  • Nye ritualer (Literally: New Rituals, poetry, Kolon, 2008)
  • Skuespill 1 (Literally: Plays 1. Drama collection with the plays Barock Friise* (Baroque Frieze), Maria Q and The Rhinemaidens, Kolon, 2007)
  • Befri vårt daglige liv (Literally: Free our daily life, double edition of Most (Squeezed) and Tenk om isen skulle komme (Imagine if ice was to come), novels, Kolon, 2007)
  • Gartnerløs (Literally: Without a gardener, poetry, Kolon, 2007)
  • Visning (The Showing, drama, Kolon, 2005)
  • Spilt (Literally, a play on words, Spilt may mean Spilled as well as Performed, poetry, Kolon, 2001)
  • Fars ansikt (Literally: Father's face, book for children, Gyldendal Tiden, 2000)
  • Mykt glass. Dikt i utvalg (Literally: Soft glass. Selected poems, poetry, Kolon, 1999)
  • Den riktige vind (Literally: The right wind, drama, Gyldendal Tiden, 1999)
  • Østerrike (Austria, drama, Gyldendal, 1998)
  • Lille Pille og lille Fille i den Dype skogs ballett (Literally: Little Pill and little Rag in the ballet of the Deep forest, picture book, Gyldendal, 1998)
  • Rhindøtrene (The Rhinemaidens, drama, Gyldendal, 1996)
  • Maria Q. (Maria Quisling, drama, Gyldendal, 1994)
  • Barock Friise (Baroque Frieze, drama, Gyldendal, 1993)
  • Hund får besøk (Literally: Dog is visited, picture book, Gyldendal, 1992)
  • Tiden mellom tidene (Literally: The Time between Times, drama, Gyldendal, 1991)
  • Badehuset. Tekst for visual performance. (Literally: The Bathhouse. Text for visual performance, drama, Gyldendal, 1990)
  • Lille Pille og lille Fille i den Dype skogs teater (Literally: Little Pill and little Rag in the theatre of the Deep forest, book for children, Gyldendal, 1990)
  • Dobbel nytelse (Double Delight, new edition, drama, Gyldendal, 1988)
  • Fornuftige dyr (Literally: Sensible animals, drama, Gyldendal, 1986)
  • Balansedame (Literally: Woman of Balance, drama, Gyldendal, 1985)
  • Vift (Literally: Wave, drama, Solum, 1985)
  • Måkespisere (Drama collection with the plays Seagull Eaters, Vinteren revner* (Winter tears), Du, bli her!* (You, stay here!), Gyldendal, 1983)
  • Sug (Literally, a play on words that can mean Urge or Suck, novel, Gyldendal, 1979)
  • Befri vårt daglige liv (Literally: Free our daily life, double edition of Most (Squeezed) and Tenk om isen skulle komme (Imagine if ice was to come), novels, Gyldendal, 1978)
  • Dobbel nytelse (Double Delight, drama, Gyldendal, 1978)
  • Fanget Villrose (Literally: Captured Wild Rose, Gyldendal, 1977)
  • Alltid skyer over Askøy (Literally: Always clouds above Askøy, novel, Gyldendal, 1976)
  • Mørkets muligheter (Literally: The possibilities of dark, poetry, 1976)
  • Tenk om isen skulle komme (Literally: Imagine if ice was to come, novel, Gyldendal, 1974)
  • Most (Literally: Squeezed, novel, Gyldendal, 1972)

Besides several books have been written about Cecilie Løveid, including Klangen av knust språk. Cecilie Løveids prosa og lyrikk, edited by Benedicte Eyde (literally: The timbre of broken language. Cecilie Løveid's prose and poetry, Cappelen akademisk forlag 1998), Livsritualer. En bok om Cecilie Løveids dramatikk (literally: Life rituals. A book about Cecilie Løveid's drama), edited by Merete Morken Andersen (Gyldendal 1998), Skuespillet om kvinnekroppen. Bildets og kroppens betydning i Cecilie Løveids dramatikk (literally: The play about the female body. The significance of image and body in Cecilie Løveid's drama), by Wenche Larsen (Unipub forlag 2005) and Cecilie Løveid: Engendering a Dramatic Tradition by Tanya Thresher (Alvheim Eide Akademisk forlag 2005).

When Cecilie Løveid and Jon Tombre were given Norwegian Critics' Award for The Showing, Chris Erichsen said the following, among other things, on behalf of Norwegian Critics' Association during the award ceremony:

"There is something about her language. It is somewhat filled up. I have to be well prepared. To have cleaned the room inside of me, so that there is room for me in there, in her language. Perhaps it has something to do with 'the particular tone of broken language', as she writes in Alltid skyer over Askøy (literally: Always clouds above Askøy). Something with the enormous range she is always able to push into her language; from the fully transparent and fragile to the raw and expressive, in one and the same poetic mouthful.

(...)

Some reviewers have criticised the production for being inconsequent in its expression. I would claim that just this inconsequence is part of the strength of the performance. Jon Tombre could have chosen safe and well on the top shelf a thorough expressional effect having led us without resistance through the performance. Instead he, with his ensemble, has chosen the risky way."

The complete speech can be read (in Norwegian only) at the website of Norwegian Critics' Association.

Cecilie Løveid and Tore Vagn Lid received The Hedda Award 2016 in the best stage text category for Our Power/Our Glory (The National Stage 2016).

The Hedda Jury gave the following reason:

"A classic play is a small world in itself, with its own language, its conventions and not least, the playwright's biography as a backdrop. This year's award goes to a unique collaboration project which uncomprimised and bravely contextualise the work of one of our greats. Through expansive research mixed with poetry and politics, they write up the story of his life, work and contemporary controversy. This way, they create new political theatre and not least, new art."

SOURCES:

Kolon Forlag, www.kolonforlag.no, 03.03.2014, http://www.kolonforlag.no/authors/details/29

Store Norske Leksikon on Cecilie Løveid, www.snl.no, 03.03.2014, http://snl.no/Cecilie_L%C3%B8veid

The webpage of Cecilie Løveid, www.cecilieloveid.com, 03.03.2014, http://www.cecilieloveid.com/om/norwegian

Norwegian Critics' Association, www.kritikerlaget.no, 25.09.2014, http://kritikerlaget.no/nor/pages/957-teaterkritikerprisen_201314

The Hedda Award, heddaprisen.no, 12.06.2016, http://heddaprisen.no/pub/heddaprisen/main/?aid=1465

*Not yet translated into English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.