Combining theatre with comedy, drag and clowning, this autobiographical, playful work reflects on the story of performer Elina’s strip club upbringing in a newly independent Estonia.
A raw and poignant reflection on patriarchy, toxic masculinity and living under the male gaze, the play, Elina’s second solo work, subtly parallels the behaviours we see within the stereotypical macho men and the politics of today.
In her storytelling, Elina reflects to 1991, a time when the Soviet Union collapsed and there was nothing to eat as the factories were closed, supermarket shelves were empty, and most people were out of work. She then talks about the phenomenal first opening of McDonald’s and how one could find solace in their Happy Meals and the prospect of a new bright future.
Elina describes the tumultuous atmosphere and how the matriarchal environment of the strip club, which was run by her grandmother and mother, was juxtaposed against the patriarchal Russian mafia ruled streets. The mafia made it difficult for ordinary people, especially women, to live and pursue
business opportunities. In the 1990s the mafia came up with a concept called ‘krysha’, meaning ‘roof’
in Russian or unsolicited ‘protection’ and threatened independent establishment if they did not pay them the money. That is exactly what happened to Elina’s grandmother’s strip club, which eventually was taken over by the mafia.
Now pregnant (while not being part of the show) and contemplating motherhood herself, Elina describes her first perceptions and impressions of the men she met in the strip club as a child and how that shaped her views of the world.
Writer and performer Elina Alminas said: “It feels like all the power structures in the world follow the same playbooks and the small minded, criminal and weirdly orthodox view of the world keeps coming back so the history repeats itself. I see parallels of what was happening when I was growing up in the early 1990s and now with so many power-lusty men in charge. And I’ve been thinking about making a personal show about my fatherless, strip club upbringing for a while, but today it feels like this story is relevant more than ever. However, I wanted to portray it in quite a playful and funny way so the audience can expect some comedic relief in my stereotypical macho man drag character Elon Must.”
