​The borough of Kallio in Helsinki has a population comparable to that of Ancient Athens, where Plato once lived. As a visionary, Plato placed his trust in the inherent goodness of people when he laid the foundation for the ideals of European society through his dialogue, The Republic. Yet, more than two millennia later, democracy remains a system in crisis, and goodness is rarely a topic in political discourse.

Plato’s Republic, a mystery play by Reality Research Center, premiered in Helsinki in August 2017. It examines the role of theater in the modern-day polis, with Kallio serving as the stage on which the audience, now citizens, imagines itself as a community. In Ancient Greece, attending the theater was considered a civic duty—could it still serve such a purpose today? By framing The Republic within contemporary art, the play asks what "good" means to us and how we can pursue collective goodness. It proposes that the aspiration toward the good should be the fundamental principle of politics.

The performance unfolds over five acts, staged on consecutive days. Each act engages 21 audience members who assume the role of citizens. Together, they contemplate the common good and explore how to build a just republic. Central to the mystery play is this assembly of citizens, whose role goes beyond mere spectatorship to become a living, deliberative body.

 

Act 1: Aletheia

The first act takes place in the marketplace—known in Ancient Greece as the agora—a gathering space for political, artistic, and athletic discussions. Here, citizens reflect on the nature of goodness, a theme that will be expanded in the following acts.

 

Act 2: Physis

We are born into bodies, share spaces with other bodies, and constantly negotiate our boundaries. In the second act, citizens contemplate how to exist together as embodied beings.

 

Act 3: Pneuma

Throughout history, both individuals and societies have sought connections with something greater than themselves. In this act, citizens listen and reflect on how to be of one spirit.

 

Act 4: Logos

Body and spirit converge in the mind, which shapes our concrete structures. In the fourth act, citizens search for ways to think collectively.

 

Act 5: Politeia

In the final act, citizens step into the theater, transforming it into a political arena. They are given the keys to power, redefining the meaning of both the stage and the audience here and now.

Plato’s Republic is part of the Mysteries of Love series and the final installment of a Platonic trilogy. The first part, Plato’s Symposium, sought absolute beauty and was performed in New York in 2013. The second, Plato’s Cave, pursued absolute truth and was staged in Copenhagen in 2016. Plato’s Republic seeks absolute goodness and premiered in Helsinki on the 100th anniversary of the Finnish Republic.

The Mysteries of Love series aims to offer tangible, personal, and political responses to the crises facing contemporary society in an era marked by environmental anxiety and post-colonial challenges.