Men of Shame
Anne-Maria Haapala's Musical Stage Performance
Arranged Music by Markojuhani Rautavaara
Project Overview
The stage production Häpeän miehet (Men of Shame), written and directed by Anne-Maria Haapala, explores themes of men’s loneliness, silence, guilt, and shame, both on an individual and communal level. The play alternates between deeply introspective monologues and poignant musical pieces, creating a powerful and immersive narrative. It unfolds through the stories of seven men, each delivering a reflective monologue at their own imagined funeral. The production was performed in 2016 at the churches of Hailuoto and Oulujoki.
Services Involved
Markojuhani Rautavaara
Singer-Songwriter & Artistic Director
The Hailuoto Music Festival
Eero is reliable, sticks to agreed schedules, and delivers quality work. I strongly recommend!
My Role & Contributions
As part of the production, I arranged Markojuhani Rautavaara’s evocative song Synkkä metsä (Dark Forest) for strings, which was performed by Oulunsalo Ensemble.
Cast & Crew
The storytellers and the priest in the production were all played by local men from Hailuoto: Juha Pehkonen, Esko Väliheikki, Matti Maukonen, Paavo Isola, Timo Juntunen, Kari Blomster, Jarkko Sipilä, and Paavo Sipola.
The music was performed by singer and guitarist Markojuhani Rautavaara, vocalist Kirsi Lehtosaari, and harmonium player Harri Laakkonen. Oulunsalo Ensemble also contributed, led by violinist Sinikka Ala-Leppilampi and featuring Anna-Briitta Karjalainen (violin), Liina Subida (violin), Hilla Lappalainen (viola), Oskari Elomaa (cello), and Ari Kivelä (double bass). The string arrangements were by Einojuhani Rautavaara and Eero Karvonen (myself).
Dance and choreography were handled by dancer Tiina Sainila, along with the dance group Korpikomppania, which also featured Anna-Stina Sevon, Noora Mommo, and Annu Tertsunen.
Sound design was provided by producer Jürgen Hendlmeier, lighting design by photographer Aki Roukala, and graphic design by Kimmo Kaukonen.