Jarmo Reha “WhiteWash”

Identity has many layers, but there is one, that even if it’s a social construct, you cannot escape. With your subjective inner feeling, for which there is no signifier, you are bound to be alone in your skin, however much light there is outside.

Ivan Krastev, a Bulgarian essayist, has said that the relationship between “East” and “West” is like that between an imitator and his ideal. Is then the only option of the “East” to be a bastard of the “West” – same-same, but different. And when questions of race and skin come into play, and so be it, let them come – is being whitewashed the East’s only option? White skin, white masks? Where can you go when you’re white, but some whites are more white than others? Oh, back where we all come from – to darkness and void. “WhiteWash” is a performative burst down the rabbit hole of identities.

Jarmo Reha is a freelancing theatre director, actor and performance artist, who was formerly a member in the ensemble of Theatre NO99. As a freelancing actor Reha has found his way to work with Armel Roussel – a theatre director residing in Brussels. They created a performance called “Long live the life that burns the chest” (2019) as an international collaboration between them. Reha will continue work with Roussel with upcoming performances “Ether/After” (2021) and “Walcz” (2022), as a co-director and actor.

In Estonia he has worked with Emer Värk as a performance artist in “You will see so many pretty things” – Kanuti Gildi SAAL (2019). As a director he created his first performance “Oomen” in 2018, which in collaboration with Aare Pilv and Laur Kaunissaare won the national theatre prize for best dramaturgy. “WhiteWash” will be his second work as a director, in which he will also be the performer.