“We’ve come a long way in many things. But in the course of things, people have often been passed over without consideration. Or with very little consideration.”
When a person loses their home, marriage, job, and tomato patch, one could image that they turn bitter. Yet, in the play A Humane Man, Raine Kukkia doesn’t. To Raine, these losses signify the start of a new life one step at a time. He moves to another city, meeting new challenges and new people. The former municipal human resources secretary become a robot vacuum cleaner salesman. As a result Raine faces setbacks, loneliness, and a lowered standard of living, but he doesn’t let this bother him. He turns the situation around with his cheerful and trusting outlook, politeness, diligence, and humility.
Raine Kukkia is the play’s artless protagonist, who comes to affect everything and everyone’ lives through his existence. He wants to help everyone, no matter the cost to himself.
Sirkku Peltola writes about daily life and ordinary people. Her texts have an impact on the reader: the dialogue is simultaneously direct and multidimensional. The text leaves a permanent memory trace.
The play explores human nature at its best, but also at its worst. The value of life and appreciation of others play a central role in the play. The play poses the question: can a person be modest and compassionate in the present times? Is it possible to be altruistic and still get by in life?
Roles: Women 5, men 4.
