Viking Magazine - November 2015 - 46

Q&A
All the Right Moves
In
Meet writer, director, choreographer and performer
Alan Lucien Øyen. BY ALEX COHEN
a little more than six
years, Alan Øyen
has quickly made
the transition from happyfooted
dance student to criticaleyed
director. In 2013 he won
Norway's coveted HEDDA
Award for best playwright,
enjoys life as the Artist in
Residence for the Norwegian
National Opera and Ballet, and
has written and choreographed
productions in his native
Norway and abroad. Viking
caught up with Øyen about his
life, plays and his own take
on Christmas.
Q You studied dance at the
State School of Art in Oslo
and then after that you went
into writing. How was the
transition from being on
stage to being backstage?
A If you'd asked me when I was
11 years old what I would like
to be, I would have said I want
to be a director. But I caught the
dance bug, and then I just wanted
to dance. Actually, I feel like my
whole career has kind of slowly
gotten me back on track to where
I was supposed to go. When I
was a newly educated dancer, I
was very excited to work in the
Norwegian contemporary dance
company, Carte Blanch. It was
kind of my lifelong dream. Then
I very quickly started to think
about wanting to make more
decisions. I guess that's what the
change was for me.
46 VIKING NOVEMBER 2015
Q How did your international
touring company, Winter
Guests, come about?
A I was just starting to do my
fi rst ensemble piece [in 2006]
where it was not just me on
stage, so I needed a company
name. I came up with Winter
Guests because I always loved
the word " winter. " It conjures
up something cold and slightly
more melancholic, and there was
something there that I thought
could work and it did. Since we
were a project-based company,
I thought " Guests " would be
good, so then it kind of grew
from there.
Q What are your motivations
for making a new Christmas
play?
A I just love Christmas. For me
it's like one of the most special
things in the world. It's also
one of the most complicated
things because it's all hyped up
so it's kind of bound to be also
sort of a disappointment in one
way or another. I just love the
fact that it's something that
nobody shrugs their shoulders
at. I'm also going to try to poke
references to old Christmas
movies and kind of pick from
the ingredients that I think is
Christmas for me, hopefully
get some of the melancholy,
sadness that comes with
Christmas as well.
Q Where do you fi nd
inspiration for your plays?
A I take a lot of inspiration
from television, movies and
from overhearing conversations.
When I'm on the bus and I hear
people talking on the phone, I
try to imagine what the other
end of the conversation is. Then
there's music, of course, which is
what I know gets me in the right
frame of mind. I love nature
also. I wish I could spend more
time outdoors.
Q How do you like to spend
your free time?
A I like to watch movies and
television. Actually, I think it's
one of the most magical things.
For a long time I would say
my favorite television show
was " Six Feet Under. " And
" Breaking Bad " is so well
rounded and crafted, so I tip my
hat off.
Name:
Alan Lucien Øyen
Hometown:
Bergen, Norway
Title:
Founder of Winter
Guests and Artist
in Residence at the
Norwegian National
Opera and Ballet
Upcoming
performance:
" Jingle Horse! - A
Christmas Special "
sonsofnorway.com
Check out more from the interview on Nov. 20 at sonsofnorway.com/blog.
PHOTO BY LINN HEIDI STOKKEDAL
http://www.sonsofnorway.com/blog http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - November 2015

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