Taina Mäki-Iso
Theater Director • Teacher • Performer
CURRENT PRODUCTION
Said about HaMEmo
”HaMEmo brings Charlie Chaplin to life” ”Taina used all her theatrical talent to bring the transformation Tapikka the Clown alive. She overwhelmed her audience and took control of their feelings.” Fujairah Arts 25.2.2016 ”En sucesivo contacto y compilcidad con el espactador, la finlandesa cautivó con personajes dulces,que no per ello dan la espalda a la realidad de la vida.” Francisco Martin Medrano 26.11.2016 www.protagonistasvipcantabria.com Thoughts of the elderly about HaMEmo: "Profound thoughts arose. Thank you." "I didn't expect this kind of clowning. This was different. I liked a lot.” "There was a lot to see and hear all the time. I didn't fall asleep. Good show.” "Oh, I was so moved. Especially about that kid. When can I come again?” "Great performance. I didn't understand everything. Or in my own way. Thank you." "You represented us skillfully." "Was it about death? Well. Good. And also from all aspects of life."
haMemo
a clown show for all ages
What do we remember? How do we forget things? haMEmo is a performance about forgetting and remembering. Tapikka the Clown is busy contemplating the human life cycle and the wonders of her own existence while preparing for her own inevitable departure from this world. Tapikka bids farewell to everything she knows and loves.
haMEmo is written, directed, produced and performed by Taina Mäki-Iso.
Light, sound and set design and photos: Mika Haaranen.
Costume and set design: Elina Kolehmainen.
Movement and co direction: Norman Taylor.
Consultation of buto & choreography: Ken Mai
Remake of haMEmo is coming in October 2023.
The premiere of the version for theatre stage was in February 2014.
Duration: c. 52 min
Age Group: for all ages. +5
No language limits. (Only some Gibberish and a few words in Finnish)
There are available two versions of haMEmo: one for old people´s homes, kindergartens and schools and another one for the theatre stage.
Some haMEmo dictionary:
ha = haha!
hame = a skirt (and how to play with it…)
me = us in Finnish and in English me is me
memo = memories and also those things we have forgotten
emo = an old Finnish word for mother
mo = Tapikka´s hello
HIDING
- clownery for small ones
Peekaboo! Cuckoo! Who is hiding, what is hidden? Hiding is a clown solo for young children, especially 2-3-year-olds. Join Tyyppä the clown in hide and seek to find surprising things and emotions. Non-verbal performance includes clown games, interaction with audience and improvisation. Shared performance space emphasises close connection with children.
Mäki-Iso performs also as a hospital clown and through this work sprang up the idea that child can express pain through hiding. Many familiar human life phenomena can be found from the hide and seek play; sense of security after separation and reunion, delights of surprises and possibility to hide from negative emotions.
Taina Mäki-Iso and Heini Granberg have created together performance Hiding. These experienced artists have also co-worked before making performances for young audience. Scenographer Granberg has worked widely in the fields of theatre, film and television in Finland. Currently she investigates child-oriented way to design scenography as a doctoral candidate in Aalto University.
Creative team:
Concept and production: Heini Granberg, Taina Mäki-Iso
Direction: Taina Mäki-Iso
Set and Costume Design: Heini Granberg
Photos: Mika Haaranen, Heini Granberg
Music inspired by folia: Iida Savolainen
Tyyppä on the Stage: Taina Mäki-Iso
PREMIERE YEAR: 2019 Kukkuu! -festival, Vantaa.
RECOMMENDED FOR: +2
DURATION: 35 min. Possibility to play in the set after the performance.
LANGUAGE: Gibberish
VENUE ALTERNATIVES: Indoor. Kindergartens, non-stage and stage. Space must be bright, quiet and visually calm. No need necessary for theatre technics (on the theatre venue very simple lighting). Scenography includes marked spots for 30 viewers. Possibility to add extra seats outside scenography, close and to the same level. Heini Granberg runs sounds and facilitates the performance. STAGE REQUIREMENTS: 6m width x 5 depth x c. 3m height BUILDING UP: min. 1,5h BUILDING DOWN: 30 min
Helsingin Sanomat: "The brilliant clown Taina Mäki-Iso offers catharsis for the viewer."
MEDEA: Clownish Rage Management
Taina Mäki-Iso´s solo is a tragicomic interpretation of Medea, a classic Greek myth about a woman who takes revenge by murdering her own children.
In the show, a clown called Martta gets to play this incredible role, but she is horrified by the atrocities involved in the story. How in the world can you present all these horrors? Martta finds her own tenderheartedness infuriating and in general she has a problem with her short temper. Through the solo Martta tries to practice rage management in various ways and asks advice also from the audience. Perhaps Medea herself should have tried these methods before executing her crime…
During the rehearsal process in the end of 2017 Mäki-Iso had several Medea -workshops for children. Besides of different theatre games and exercises, the focus was on encounter and emotions, especially on rage. One can see the ideas of children in this performance, too. This one hour show is for adults and young audience.
Direction: Janne Saarakkala & Taina Mäki-Iso
Script: Taina Mäki-Iso & Group
Light and Sound Design, Videos: Mika Haaranen
Costume Design: Elina Kolehmainen
Set Design: Group
Photos, Poster: Mika Haaranen
Production: Taina Mäki-Iso
Clown Martta: Taina Mäki-Iso
Tango Medeia: Maija Karhinen-Ilo
Age 10+
Language: Finnish and English. (It is possible to minimize Finnish and add more English with some keywords in otherlanguage, too)
Length: c. one hour
VIKING PRINCESS
Viking Princess brings her crazy greetings from the North! A clown show full of big dreams, surprises and stupidities. A clown comes to prepare her “grand concert” as a Viking Princess Tainuska. Although she believes to be a great and a top professional artist, she really needs the help of audience. There occur also some global problems, which she tries to solve as being a very brave northern woman. This performance includes playing with the audience, some classical gags with a fresh twist and improvisation. Taina Mäki-Iso has a strong and warm presence and a sensitive contact with the audience.
Premiere 6.8.2016, Tábor International Street Theatre Festival, Czech.
Other performances: International Women´s Clown Festival Red Pearl in Helsinki, Jutajaiset-festival in Rovaniemi, Event for Clown Marcelino (el Encuentro Internacional de Clowns) in Jaca, Spain.
Performance is created, directed, produced and performed by Taina Mäki-Iso.
Polka: Maija Karhinen-Ilo.
There are very little spoken lines. It is possible to perform in English, Finnish, Spanish or with few words of any language. Duration: c. 35-40 min. For all ages.
