Jouko Turkka
Encyclopedia
Jouko Veli Turkka is a Finnish
theatrical director and controversialist. He was assistant director of the Helsinki City Theatre from 1975 to 1982, and a professor at the Helsinki
School of Drama from 1981 to 1988, being its rector from 1982 to 1985. Turkka influenced a whole generation of Finnish actors, and created a recognisable style of acting.
The method was to progressively search for a mental borderline state by psychic
and physical exertion, and the result was frequently an acting performance characterised by actors shaking uncontrollably and spewing spit and snot and other bodily fluids around them. Some likened the method to brainwashing, or to those of religious cults.
In 1987 the government had cause to remove him from his post as rector of the Helsinki School of Drama, when a group of his students held a performance at a theater symposium held in the city of Oulu
. The organizers had specifically requested that the group should present something "shocking" so that there would be a bit of fuel for late night discussions at the bar. However the young students overshot expectations by staging a performance art
piece in which they cut themselves to bleed, smeared each other with excrement, and crucified and whipped one of their number. The group, called "Jumalan Teatteri" (The Theatre Of God) in a direct reference to Antonin Artaud
, also hurled excrement at the audience, resulting in well-publicised laundry bills and court cases for the recompense for same.
When the Finnish Minister of Culture appointed Maija-Liisa Marton to follow him as headmaster, the whole student body occupied and barricaded the school building with desks and chairs, refusing to "give it up".
Renowned for his sadistic directorial style and numerous instances of reducing acting students or actors he was directing to tears and/or nervous breakdowns, very few people doubt his genius.
Several actors have written books which describe their experiences with him, either as students or actors.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
theatrical director and controversialist. He was assistant director of the Helsinki City Theatre from 1975 to 1982, and a professor at the Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
School of Drama from 1981 to 1988, being its rector from 1982 to 1985. Turkka influenced a whole generation of Finnish actors, and created a recognisable style of acting.
The method was to progressively search for a mental borderline state by psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
and physical exertion, and the result was frequently an acting performance characterised by actors shaking uncontrollably and spewing spit and snot and other bodily fluids around them. Some likened the method to brainwashing, or to those of religious cults.
In 1987 the government had cause to remove him from his post as rector of the Helsinki School of Drama, when a group of his students held a performance at a theater symposium held in the city of Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
. The organizers had specifically requested that the group should present something "shocking" so that there would be a bit of fuel for late night discussions at the bar. However the young students overshot expectations by staging a performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
piece in which they cut themselves to bleed, smeared each other with excrement, and crucified and whipped one of their number. The group, called "Jumalan Teatteri" (The Theatre Of God) in a direct reference to Antonin Artaud
Antonin Artaud
Antoine Marie Joseph Artaud, more well-known as Antonin Artaud was a French playwright, poet, actor and theatre director...
, also hurled excrement at the audience, resulting in well-publicised laundry bills and court cases for the recompense for same.
When the Finnish Minister of Culture appointed Maija-Liisa Marton to follow him as headmaster, the whole student body occupied and barricaded the school building with desks and chairs, refusing to "give it up".
Renowned for his sadistic directorial style and numerous instances of reducing acting students or actors he was directing to tears and/or nervous breakdowns, very few people doubt his genius.
Several actors have written books which describe their experiences with him, either as students or actors.
Literary works
- Aiheita (1982; J. H. Erkko Award)
- Selvitys oikeuskanslerille (1984)
- Häpeä (1994)
- Nyt alkoi elämä (1996)
Plays, directed by
- Anu ja Mikko (1968)
- Hyvästi Mansikki (1969)
- Tuntematon sotilas (1971)
- Tulitikkuja lainaamassa (1972)
- Kyllikki ja Runar (1974, 1996)
- Nummisuutarit (1974, 1975)
- Siinä näkijä missä tekijä (1976)
- Niskavuoren nuori emäntä (1977)
- Putkinotko (1978)
- Aavesonaatti (1978)
- Viisas neitsyt (1979)
- Tuntematon sotilas (1979)
- Murtovarkaus (The Burglary) (1981)
- Voimamies (1982)
- Tuhat ja yksi yötä (1983)
- Hypnoosi (1985)
- Kött och Kärlek (1986)
- Valheita (1990)
- Presidentin dementia (1993)
- Att hyra en kändis (1994)
- Kumpi nauttii enemmän - Mies vai nainen? (1995)
- Rakkaita pettymyksiä rakkaudessa (1996)
- Täysin tyydytetty nainen (1997)
- Yksi yö Ruotsalaista Kesää (2004)
- Konkurssisirkus (2005)
Books about Jouko Turkka
- Sotilaan Tarina, (1986) by Anna-Leena HärkönenAnna-Leena HärkönenAnna-Leena Härkönen is a Finnish writer and actress.She was born in Liminka and studied acting at the college of drama and the University of Tampere's program of drama studies, which she concluded in 1989. She won the J. H...
(a novel which includes a recognizable character of a bald-headed theater director) - Kausi Helvetissä, (1988) by Kari Kontio
- Lihat Ylös!, (1988) by Anneli Ollikainen
- Menkää Mielenhäiriöön, (2001) by Ville VirtanenVille VirtanenVille Virtanen may refer to:* Ville Virtanen * Darude, musician...
(a roman a clefRoman à clefRoman à clef or roman à clé , French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction...
which Virtanen has openly acknowledged portrays his own student days under the Turkka method)