HANCOCK - The well-known 1936 Finnish play, "Women of Niskavuori" is coming to Hancock.

Finlandia University's play will be put on in four performances at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Friday, Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Finnish America Heritage Center in Hancock.

Director Melvin Kangas said the play is about a family in Finland who are set in their ways.

"It's a farm family and there is a little school and a little village by them," he said. "The school board has decided to hire a young girl to teach there."

A young man, who is married with children, meets her at the train station to pick her up and falls in love with the young woman, which upsets the older generation in the village.

"They fall instantly in love and that brings on a series of events, and these women gossip," Kangas said.

Although Kangas chooses not to reveal the ending, he said the play also has political elements because of the conservative people of the village and the young woman is from a place which is a hotbed for the left movement.

The play was written in 1936 by Hella Wuolijoki. Since 2000, the play has been staged more than 40 times in the United States.

Kangas said the play's story revolves around complicated love relations and conflict between the traditional and the modern.

A press release from Finlandia states, "Central to the story are two strong women, Loviisa (played by Pam Pouttu), the old matron of Niskavuori, and Ilona (Megan Pachmayer), the emancipated young school teacher. Ilona's arrival at the village school compels Aarne Niskavuori (Pasi Lautala), the master of the Niskavuori estate, to make difficult choices concerning his half-hysterical wife, Martta (Kaisa Randolph), his new love, and the home that he loves."

Tickets are $5 per person and may be purchased at the door prior to the performances.

Stacey Kukkonen can be reached at skukkonen@mininggazette.com.