The August Strindberg Society of Los Angeles, (TASSLA), in existence since 1986, is dedicated to the express purpose of presenting the works and teachings of the great Swedish dramatist August Strindberg. TASSLA is a non-profit organization of professionals within the theatre and film industry in Southern California, producing readings, performances, and discussions of Strindberg's works. Since 1986, TASSLA has been producing exclusively works by Strindberg.
MISSION-----The August Strindberg Society of Los Angeles (TASSLA), in existence since 1986, is dedicated to the express purpose of presenting the works of Swedish dramatist August Strindberg.-HISTORY-----The August Strindberg Society of Los Angeles (TASSLA) was formed in 1986 as a vehicle to explore the great body of work of the father of modern drama, August Strindberg. While this was an opportunity for the artistic community to work on quality material, it was apparent that many of the great roles of European literature had not previously been performed by or shared with ethnic and diverse communities and this became an inherent aspect of TASSLA productions.Diverse casting served to deepen the integral truths inherent in the spiritual conflicts depicted by August Strindberg and the full gravity of the scope of his work found new life in its ability to enrich and transcend cultures and ethnicities. The Scandinavian population have been both supportive and eager to share their culture with minority and diverse audiences and this has strengthened relationships and understanding, creating a bridge of communication, the development of quality performances and the presentation of these performances to audiences which would not have otherwise have found exposure to the work of August Strindberg.TASSLA sponsored "Hellava Guy", "Earth Nut", and "Strindberg Songs", all performed by Swedish guest artists. In 2000 TASSLA produced in tandem with The Consulate General of Sweden of Los Angeles in cooperation with UC/Berkeley an exhibition of the photography of August Strindberg which was circulated for the first time in the United States by the Consulate General. TASSLA was invited to Stockholm to perform in the annual August Strindberg Festival in 1998 where they performed "The Father" with an Afro-American cast to critical acclaim. TASSLA continues to obtain obscure Strindberg manuscripts and strives to commission scholars in their translation to English. A full production of "The Father" was presented in Los Angeles in 2000 to rave reviews and was garnered the prestigious NAACP Image Award for Best Production in a Small Theater. TASSLA plans a transposition contest to encourage and support the writing community in the in-depth exploration of Strindberg material.TASSLA recently performed the premiere English reading of "Abu Casem's Slippers" which was translated by Anne-Charlotte Harvey. TASSLA was invited to perform at the Swedish Consulate residence of Los Angeles for their recent month long "Beyond Blond" event. TASSLA did a premiere concert reading of "Strindberg In Love," our original piece based on the diaries, notes and letters of August Strindberg and his wives.-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR-----David Patch, Artistic Director and Founder of TASSLA, has been a prominent vehicle in spreading Strindberg's genius which he discovered while playing the role of Gustav in "The Creditors".He has ceaselessly sought to produce all sixty-two of the plays of Strindberg, worked with the Consulate General of Sweden to bring the photography of Strindberg to the United States for a touring exhibition, presented films and readings throughout the Los Angeles area, developed new material from existing and obscure documents, and facilitated new translations of existing work. David adamantly believes that all serious students of theater need to explore the implicit and complicated spiritual conflicts depicted in the work of August Strindberg as a foundation for developing true artistry as an actor, writer or director.Interest quickly developed for the "obscure" playwright and TASSLA found that many actors and directors were eager to explore the truths and highly-charged conflicts of Strindberg's plays and has consistently been able to generate interest in Strindberg projects throughout the theater community.David Patch has performed in three Broadway productions, three national companies and twenty-five off-Broadway productions and regional theaters. His producer credits include "The Cherry Orchard", "Miss Julie", "The Creditors", "The Pelican" and "The Pariah" and "Cash Flow", which won seven Dramalogue awards. He has directed staged readings of "Strindberg in Love", "Crimes and Crimes", "What Now", "Eepsnorpsh", and directed "4 Mile Hill" for The Actor's Studio, and "The Father", which won the NAACP Image Award. Ultimately, David would like to see The August Strindberg Society of Los Angeles develop a permanent home where the serious student could do intense focused studies on the dramatic literature of August Strindberg and further exploration and development of existing works to be produced.Be a Part of TASSLA -DONATE
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The August Strindberg Society of Los Angeles (TASSLA) couldn't function without the help of people who generously give of their time, effort and caring, because they feel that what we do is important. If you are one of those people, please e-mail us and let us know that you're interested. It's one of the most satisfying and rewarding experiences you can have!Here are the main areas where you can become involved:Hospitality Help us set up our buffet for the Sunday Brunch With Strindberg concert readings.House Management Host one of our productions! Pass out programs, make sure people are seated, comfortable, and know where the restrooms are. Chat with our patrons. Great for people who like to socialize.Crew Help Set up and/or break down the stage, place props and all sorts of other behind-the-scenes grunt work. You'll get a great work out and contribute to a great cause!Costumes You can be creative without getting on stage. Good with fashion? Good with color? Good with a needle and thread? Help create the look of Strindberg's characters by sewing, altering or repairing costumes worn by TASSLA actors. Or help backstage with actors getting in and out of costumes quickly.Props Help us find and gather just the right props for the show. Place the prop pieces needed on the set before the show and make any needed prop changes during intermission.Administration If you are good with a computer, we need you. If you have some spare hours to spend every week and would like to be part of a creative team in organizing our mailings lists and raising funds, we could use the help.Don't see your expertise on the list? Give us a call or drop us an e-mail and let us know what you can do. We are always looking for positive people with a good sense of humor to help us keep the ball rolling.Inquisitive Minds
Here are some of our favorite Strindberg sites:Jonas Hedstrom created this site which is a good sampler of the zany excentricities of August Strindberg.
http://www.extrapris.com/astrindberg.htmlBrief bio and list of work as well as some essays. Sampler.
http://www.kirjasto.comErin Bradley, Eun-Ha Paek & James Bewley created this great site. They created Helium to help lighten it up a little because Strindberg is so dark. Really? Check it out.
http://www.strindbergandhelium.comHere's some of little blue light with links to some of Strindberg's influences.
http:/www.littleblue.com/A sampling of Strindberg's photos.
http://www.gallen-kallela.fi/artnoir/Strindberg.htmlStrindbe
rg and Photography - An elegant, animated website from the Scandinavia House Exhibition - 2001 & 2002.
http://www.hallstromdesign.com/clients/strindberg/index.html
Listing of Strindberg work on film.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834529/An interesting interview.
http://members.garbersoft.net/spartacus/strindbe.htmA must see site.
www.amscan.orgAnd if you're in Los Angeles -
www.experiencela.comHave fun and be sure and let us know if you find a site you like in particular!REFERENCE MATERIALS ON AUGUST STRINDBERG:
August Strindberg - Selected ResourcesStrindberg and the Historical Drama
by Walter Gilbert Johnson. 323 pgs.Miss Julie and Other Plays
by August Strindberg, Michael Robinson. 313 pgs.The Vasa Trilogy: Master Olof, Gustav Vasa, Erik
XIV (includes plays and criticism)
by August Strindberg, Walter Johnson. 332 pgs.Picturing Ourselves: Photography and Autobiography (includes "Photographing the Soul: August Strindberg")
by Linda Haverty Rugg. 286 pgs.The Playwright as Thinker, a Study of Drama in Modern Times (includes a chapter on August Strindberg)
by Eric Bentley. 384 pgs.The Flower and the Castle; An Introduction to Modern Drama (includes a chapter on August Strindberg)
by Maurice Valency. 468 pgs.Iconoclasts (includes a chapter on August Strindberg)
by James Huneker. 430 pgs.World Drama From Aeschylus to Anouilh (includes "Strindberg and the Play of the Subconscious")
by Allardyce Nicoll. 1000 pgs.The First Moderns: Profiles in the Origins of Twentieth-Century Thought (includes "August Strindberg: Staging a Broken Dream 1907")
by William R. Everdell. 508 pgs.Drama From Ibsen to Eliot (includes a chapter on August Strindberg)
by Raymond Williams. 274 pgs.The Absent Father in Modern Drama (includes information on August Strindberg in "Questioning the Father's Authority")
by Paul Rosefeldt. 166 pgs.A History of Sweden (includes information on Strindberg's influence in literature)
by Andrew A. Stomberg. 826 pgs.Fiction as Social Fantasy: Europe's Domestic Crisis of 1879-1914, in Journal of Social History
by Rudolph Binion. 21 pgs.A Study of the Modern Drama: A Handbook for the Study and Appreciation of the Best Plays, European, English and American, of the Last Half Century (includes a section on August Strindberg)
by Barrett H. Clark. 527 pgs
