The Lighter Touch Art Collective
Audiences wanting to see When Fern Flowers Bloom is best advised to know some aspects of Latvia folklore to fully appreciate every element this play offers. Otherwise, the symbolic elements may seem foreign. After seeing this show at the Victoria Fringe Festival, I want to dive even deeper into the lore because I suspect this tale also explores why the seasons change.
Just how this story begins had me vibing with “Here Comes The Sun,” by The Beatles but by the finale, I was thinking “Who’ll Stop the Rain?” by CCR. When the knowledge that Death is one of the characters, what’s presented addresses the traditions and rituals leading to Summer Solstice. Every culture celebrates it differently. Here, Jāņis (Erik Karklins) is a living incarnation of this season, and when this lady of the night can deliver more than a smile to his face every day, I fear for him!
Although Nāve’s (Sarah Ivanco) innocent side is that of a beautiful young woman in search of the rare Fern flower, there is more to her than meets the eye.
Although this play never directly says she’s the Goddess of Death, the signs are there: anyone who finds this plant will either find wonderful luck in his or her future, or suffer an ill omen. In this modernist take of an amalgamation of various folktales, a computer message reminds this lady she has a duty to fulfil. She doesn’t want to see her boyfriend suffer. Their human incarnations give the impression of young adults from American hippie culture in love. Although she’s been the same person since creation to the end of time, he doesn’t seem to be because he doesn’t have memories of their times gone by (what’s being repeated is like Groundhog day.)
And another figure mentioned is Laima. She’s like a Moirai such that she’s one of three figures who are like the Three Fates. She exists to remind these two lovers that nothing can change their destiny. In Lotte Motz’s book, The Faces of the Goddess (Amazon link), another name for her is Dame Fortune. What I learned in my online reading is that the God Martinš will soon take control and represent Fall and Winter. Just what role he has to play to usher the return of Spring and, ultimately, Jāņis’ resurrection has me curious! Although this tale is a syncretization of various legends, I really like to know more.
Perhaps that’s another story this two-person theatre troupe will one day bring to life, and I look forward to what else they can offer in the Fringe theatre world, or perhaps as a local show. What’s presented is as wonderful as all those little adventures from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, and as for this play, I’m fairly sure Nāve and Death of the Endless are the same! Both are kind and upbeat. I’d love to hug her, and she’ll just smile. If it’s time to move on, she’ll escort you to what’s next in life. And when it’s not, she’ll just nod and say, “I’ll be seeing you later.”
Remaining When Fern Flowers Bloom Showtimes at the Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival
- Aug 30 8:15 pm
- Aug 31 3:00 pm
- Sep 01 2:00 pm
Discover more from Otaku no Culture
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
