See a staged reading from the Scandinavian American Theater Company (SATC) of playwright Alejandro Leiva Wenger’s Memorial!
When Sackarias passes away suddenly, Jon accepts an invitation to attend his memorial service, grateful to be considered one of his closest high-school friends. There is only one problem: Jon has no memory of Sackarias, or their friendship…
Jon, guilt-ridden and eager to please, attends the memorial. What follows is a high-stakes improvisation game, as Jon hopes every piece of information he finds out about Sackarias will provide comfort and meaning to his loved ones – and trigger his memory of an important friendship.
Equal parts thriller and comedy, Memorial explores loss, the malleability of memory, language and its loopholes, and the narratives we tell ourselves about those we love, while elegantly interweaving existential questions with a wry and sometimes absurd humor.
The play has been translated by May-Brit Akerholt. Memorial is presented with support by Swea NJ.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Alejandro Leiva Wenger made his debut as an author in 2001 with Till vår ära (In Our Honor), followed by the screenplay of the film Elixir (2003). His play, monologue 127, premiered at the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts (2011), with performances at Parkteatern, Malmö City Theatre, and Stockholm City Theatre. The plays Författarna (The Authors), Unga Klara Theatre (2013), No Limit (2015), Folkbokförarna (The Recordkeepers) at Folkteatern Gothenburg (2016), and Minnesstund (Memorial) at Stockholm City Theatre (2016) were directed by Frida Röhl. Minnesstund, directed by Martin Rosengardten, premiered at Malmö City Theatre (2019). In 2020, Leiva Wenger was invited to take part in the international project “Urgent Drama”, where playwrights from several countries wrote pieces based on the effect of Covid-19. The play The Legacy (2021) was described as “an existential farce about the most tragic of all”. Papa’s Birthday premiered at The Royal Dramatical Theatre, Stockholm (2023). Critics described Papa’s Birthday as “a family drama that both bows and dances on Ibsen’s grave” and “a future classic”. The play was awarded the Expressen theater prize. Snattaren (The Shoplifter) premiered at Ung Scen/Öst (2023) and Nattvak (Night Watch) at Gothenburg City Theatre (2024). This presentation of Memorial by SATC is the playwright’s New York and U.S. premiere.
ABOUT SATC
Scandinavian American Theater Company (SATC) is a non-profit theater company founded to provide Scandinavian perspectives through the new generation of Scandinavian playwrights and theater artists. We present contemporary plays and inventive takes on the classics from the Nordic region, which includes Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. They are committed to strengthening the relationship between Scandinavia and the United States through collaborations and interdisciplinary artistic exchange that examine and challenge the cultural status quo.