Audio clip from an interview with Thora Arnason, 1989

Bio: Thora Arnason was born in Hænuvík near Patreksfjörður, Iceland on October 20, 1905. Her parents were Jóhann Magnússon from Barðastrandarsýsla, Iceland, and Ólöf Össurardóttir from Barðastrandarsýsla, Iceland. Thora died on October 1, 1997. 

Duration of Audio Clip: 3:06 

Transcription of Audio: 

Thora Arnason: And then I was in the drama league at the Unitarian Church. They had a drama league, and that was a lot of fun. We were in that, my sister Fanny and I, for years. 

Laurence Gillespie, interviewer: What plays did you put on while you were there? 

Thora Arnason: We put on Skugga-Sveinn, and I can’t remember. That was the big one. 

Laurence Gillespie: Whose idea was it to do Skugga-Svein? Do you have any idea who? 

Thora Arnason: The Drama League? That was really Fríða Danielsson from Arborg and Ragnar Kvaran. They were the instigators. And they put on some very, very good plays. 

Laurence Gillespie: And what was your role in Skugga-Sveinn? 

Thora Arnason: I was Gvendur smali. 

Laurence Gillespie: Gvendur smali. 

Thora Arnason: Yeah. Pardon? The halfwit. 

Laurence Gillespie: And did you have elaborate costumes for that? 

Thora Arnason: Oh no, just rags. 

Laurence Gillespie: Where were the performances? 

Thora Arnason: They were in the Unitarian Church, in the basement. 

Laurence Gillespie: Did you put on any outside of Winnipeg? 

Thora Arnason: Yeah, we went to Arborg once. It was a competition. I can’t remember what the name of that play was. Isn’t that funny I’ve forgotten that. 

Laurence Gillespie: What was the most interesting role you had when you were in? 

Thora Arnason: I think Gvendur was. 

Laurence Gillespie: And of course, these plays would be entirely in Icelandic? 

Thora Arnason: All in Icelandic, yeah. 

Laurence Gillespie: And where would you get the money to do this kind of a production? Where would the funds come from? 

Thora Arnason: I really don’t know, because I’m sure that they had to pay royalties on some of them. 

Laurence Gillespie: And what was the audience reaction like? 

Thora Arnason: Oh, very good. A house full all the time. Anyway, it was always a lot of fun, all kinds of things that happened, you know, that when amateurs are doing things, it’s always a lot of fun. Like I, Jón sterki lifted me up on his back, heaved me up. I said, “When you put me down,” whispered in his ears, I said, “When you lift me down,” I said, “Be sure that I’m facing the audience.” And he said, “Why?” I said, “Because my pants ripped and I’ve got satin underwear on.” 

Laurence Gillespie: And he really has. Oh, boy. 

Thora Arnason: So, all kinds of things have happened to you, you know, that happened in an amateur production.