Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Akvavit/Aquavit/Akevitt

Akvavit or aquavit (English pronunciation: /ˈɑːkwəviːt/, /ˈɑːkvəviːt/; also akevitt in Norwegian) is a flavored spirit that is produced in Scandinavia and typically contains 40% alcohol by volume. Its name comes from aqua vitae, the Latin for "water of life".

Akvavit (the spirit) is quite tasty. Akvavit (the theatre company) is us!

This is our first official post. Woohoo! We're a theatre company in Chicago focusing on new Nordic works (translated from the source languages). We're not talking Strindberg or Ibsen (nothing against them, they have their place in theatre history) - the plays we produce are relevant and fresh, and introduce Chicago audiences to what's going on right now culturally and socially in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland.

Our formal mission statement reads like this:

Our mission is to investigate and encourage discussion about what “Nordic” means and how it is perceived through translated theatre performance. The plays we produce will give Nordic countries a strong voice in North America while contributing to the vibrant intercultural theatre scene already thriving in Chicago.

You can find out more about us on our site: www.akvavittheatre.org