Hybrid Theatre Works is a non-profit international theater organization that engages artists around the world in cultural diplomacy through innovative cross-cultural collaborations. Hybrid Theatre Works creates innovative theater in NYC and around the world at the cutting edge of production and peace building.

We are SEEKING PRODUCERS for a NEW FINNISH PLAY called “Broken Heart Story,” by up and coming Finnish playwright, Sara Turunen. Individuals invested in promoting Finnish culture and new Finnish literature are invited to support Hybrid Theatre Works with a tax-deductible contribution. All investors will be invited as VIP guests of the production, and would be guaranteed priority seating as well as invited to VIP opening night events in NYC. We are looking to produce this play this July-August, 2012 in NYC.

Broken Heart Story is the story of art and love. The language of the play is absurd but poetic, employing strong imagery and metaphor with a stream of consciousness style. The main characters are a mannish writer and her soul who is her complete opposite, a vain and love-hungry scatterbrain. Both women seek happiness in the way they see best, but also fettered by the definitions and expectations of their world.

Saara Turunen is an up-and-coming Finnish playwright born in Eastern Finland. She has graduated from the Theatre Academy Helsinki. Turunen has also studied screenwriting. At the moment, she works as a freelance playwright and theatre director in Helsinki and abroad. Turunen is known for her straightforward and edgy style. She has a distinct, provocative approach to her subjects; femininity, sex and art. Her plays are both playful and aggressive, often related to the world of fairy tale and pop culture. Turunen uses language both to irritate and to charm. Her writing combines trivial verbal approach to clear poetic images. By now, her most well-known play is the favourably received work Bunny Girl (Puputyttö 2007) which first premiered at the Theatre Academy Helsinki and due to the great success was invited to the repertoire of the Helsinki City Theatre. Turunen´s provocative short play The Little Jesus (2009) premiered in Barcelona as a part of the Theatre Lliure’s repertoire. Broken Heart Story premiered at the Q-Theatre in Helsinki in August 2011 and was considered by theatre critics as one of the highlights of the year due to its fresh new form. Turunen has been invited to participate in the International Forum of the Theatre Treffen in Berlin, Forum of Young European Playwrights Neue Stücke aus Europa in Wiesbaden, the Festival of European Contemporary Playwrights by the Theater Husets in Copenhagen and l’Obrador d’estiu de la Sala Beckett in Barcelona.

If you are interested in backing this production with any amount of financial support, please email hybridtheatreworks@gmail.com. Thank you!

Finnish citizens eligible to vote in the 2012 presidential election can cast their votes January 11-14 and, in a potential second round, January 25-28.

A Finnish citizen, who has reached the age of 18 by the day of the election, is entitled to vote in the Presidential Election. The voters are required to present valid photo identification to the election officer. It is also good to bring along the notice of the right to vote.

Advance polling stations are open in 91 countries at Finnish diplomatic missions or other authorized locations. The number of advance polling stations is higher than in previous elections.

More information on the election is available at vaalit.fi. Vaalit.fi can also be found on Facebook. http://www.finland.org
http://www.vaalit.fi
http://www.facebook.com/vaalit.fi

Follow links on http://www.raivaaja.org for Advance Polling Stations in USA and Canada:

For those who wish to take their Massachusetts driver’s exam in Finnish;
No problem:
http://www.eot.state.ma.us/massdotnewsletter/vol27.htm
However, a Boston Globe editorial noted in “Driving While Finnish” that there were so few Finnish immigrants and
in fairness the Commonwealth should make many other languages available.
http://articles.boston.com/2011-10-10/bostonglobe/30263722_1_finnish-immigrants-massachusetts-exam-license
The editors did note that one goalie from the Stanley Cup Champion Bruins, Tuuka Rask, should still be able to take his exam in Finnish.

Saturday Evening, June 25, 2011
Program @ 7 pm
Finnish American Music.
Carl Rahkonen
Finlandia Foundation LOY (Lecturer of the Year)
Refreshments
Dancing
Kokko (Bonfire) at dusk

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Gates open at 10 am
( $2.00 Entrance Fee)
Coffee and Pulla (Finnish Coffee Bread) is available ALL DAY
RAIVVAJA BOOK TABLE WILL BE OPEN 10 am -5 pm
Festival Art Show opens at 10 am
Finnish Style Wood Carving Group of SOVITTAJA
Sauna on Wheels opens at 10 am
Kids Games 10:30 am @Athletic Field
Historical Monument Walk 10:30 am Led by Jonathan Ratila
Documentary Film on the Life of Oskari Tokoi ( In Finnish)
NO ENGLISH SUBTITLES @ 11 am Upper Hall

Chicken B-B-Q with Finnish Salads 11:30 ($10)
Hot Dogs
Arctic Berry Sundaes
Moomin Reading with Sally Cragin @12:30 pm
Followed by Children’s crafts, Moomintroll Coloring Book

Afternoon Program (Upper Hall)
Welcome
REVONTULET
( Finnish Folk Dancers)
Speaker: Sharon Franklin-Rahkonen (Indiana (PA) University)
“Finnish Civil War- 1918″

Thank you so much for being willing to post something on the website about our organization!

As I mentioned we are a High School Exchange program and we are looking for volunteer families to host our Exchange Students for this coming school year. The students attend the local high school and live with the host family while they are here. Students come with their own health insurance and spending money but the family would be responsible for including them at breakfast and dinner and in their daily family life (aside from school of course!).

We are a non-profit organization and more can be read about us if you go to http://www.effoundation.org

I have attached a profile of a student we are trying to find a home for. Her name is Siiri and she is from Finland. If you would like to print out her application and show it to potential families in your community, that would be really helpful! She would be arriving in August about a week before school starts (once we find her a host family!)

Thank you so much for your help and please let me know if you need any other information

Very best,
Andrea

Andrea Birkel
http://www.effoundation.org