turning into saints

The production turning into saints by Grith Ea Jensen and Susanne Irene Fjørtoft presents four pieces from The Saint Plays. These are the one-act plays Radio Elephant, Tree of Hope and Pain, ending with a recorded song version of the poem Song for the End.

RADIO ELEPHANT

When Barbara was a little girl, she was locked into a high tower by her mean father. So she lived in her tower. And she was very kind and beautiful. One day a priest went past the tower. He sang about Jesus. And Barbara heard. "I love Jesus too", she called, "I am a Christian".

When her father heard, he got furious. At the time it was against the law to love Jesus or be a Christian. "She is no longer my daughter", he yelled. "Hit her until she almost dies. Then decapitate her."

The soldiers obeyed the terrible order. But angels suddenly came to bring Barbara's soul to heaven. By the way, her mean father decapitated her himself, and he was struck to earth by violent lighting, dying. Or Barbara managed to flee. Or she was murdered before she got her period, and her head started growing. And then she became a saint for all those who work with explosives.

I heard it on the radio.

TREE OF HOPE, KEEP FIRM

Human has been sinful ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and sin is transferred through generations through the way we are conceived and born. Intercourse in itself isn't sinful, but the lust felt during intercourse is. It is hard to complete intercourse without feeling lust, and thus it is impossible to imagine that anyone can be created without leading sin on. Jesus was conceived without sin.

Virgin Mary wasn't with a man, but got pregnant through the word of God. Humans have several bodily orifices, and word comes through the ear. Mary is without sin and the only one who could give birth without pain and without losing her virginity.

The moment when Virgin Mary understood she was pregnant is called the Annunciation. The church's presentation of Mary has had great significance for many - not least for women.

PAIN

Ever since Eulalia was born she had an admirable disposition, showing great love, devotion and humility. She had an honest wish to live a Christian divine life on earth.

When she was twelve years old there was given an order that everyone had to sacrifice to the heathen gods of the kingdom. Eulalia was opposed to it and was filled with the wish to become a martyr. She ran away from home and began battling the judges. Eulalia was taken capture, but if she sacrificed some salt and incense, she would be saved from torture. Eulalia refused. She was tortured terribly, with iron hooks attached to her breast, and the meat of her body was ripped from the skeleton. Next she was burned with torches and died when her hair caught fire, immolated by smoke and flames. From her mouth came a white dove, ascending towards the sky, and a family lost their daughter in the snow.

Santa Eulalia prays for all those who wish to oppose the governing powers.

SONG FOR THE END

"One night you argue until you’re tired and you
Open the door and three birds fly away
As if they were speaking secrets about you
It’s night and three birds fly away

And you hope the gossips understand your secrets
Birds flash red throats and thread through the sky
Where have you been that birds speak your secrets?
Will they understand later and elsewhere in the sky?
And this will never happen again

The birds have flown with your secrets to heaven
Where will you go where have you been?
And this will never happen again
Your reason is bird gossip

And the three birds have all flown
And the gossip breaks down to metered prayer
And the birds have become unreasonable angels
Singing back all you’ve ever known

And you stand at the door and watch
The night birds fly away with your secrets
And you turn back to the kitchen table with
New love in your heart

And you take your lover’s hands
And you have no secrets
You are understood elsewhere you have no reason for reasons
The birds have told your secrets as light to the heavens

And this will never happen again
And this will never happen again
And this will never happen again
And this will never happen again
The end"

The production turning into saints by Grith Ea Jensen and Susanne Irene Fjørtoft is supported by Arts Council Norway, the municipality of Bergen, The Fund for Performing Artists and Moving Art.

Source:

Black Box Teater Oslo, blackbox.no, 19.10.2011, http://www.blackbox.no/content/titlePresentation.php?tid=2101