“Everything you don’t have” – ​​a journey to the world of the poet Valdemar Kukul, directed by Roland Kazl | Culture

Valdemaras Kukulas (1959 – 2011) – poet, essayist, literary critic. He made his debut with his first book of poems, “Anxiety of Growing Up”, when he was only 18 years old.

in 1982 the artist graduated from journalism at the then V. Kapsukas State University of Vilnius (now Vilnius University). Since 1984 – Member of the Union of Lithuanian Writers.

He worked in the cultural magazines “Nemunas”, “Pergalė” (since 1991 – “Metai”), collaborated in the daily newspaper “Komjaunimo tiesa”, “Žinių radijuje”, the magazine “Naujoji Romuva”, and the daily newspaper “Respublika”. In addition to solid collections of poetry, he wrote playful poems for children and essays dealing with literary and social problems.

Photo by Alios Balbierius/Valdemaras Kukulas

in 2000 V. Kukul was awarded the Lithuanian Writers’ Union prize for his poetry collection “Aštuoni gēli vakarai”. in 2007 the poet became the fifth laureate of the A. Miškinis literary prize for the cultivation of the Highland spirit in poetry. In the same year, he was awarded the annual prize of the Ministry of Culture for his contribution to culture. in 2009 his collection of poems “Our Skies” was awarded the Jotvingiai Prize. V. Kukul’s book of poems “Vejo birbynė” was recognized as the best poetry book for children of the year 2000. In 2012, following his death, the poet became the laureate of the first prize named following Vytautas Kubilius.

“Everything you don’t have” is already the fifth work of actor and director Rolandas Kazlo in the “Lėlė” theater: “15 years ago, I created my first poetry performance “Iležis ir sidabras” based on the verses of the poet Vladas Šimkaus in this theater. By the way, the play is still alive, it is performed and it still receives a beautiful and large audience. An interesting coincidence – Vladas Šimkus and Valdemaras Kukulas were good friends and even neighbors. So I hope that their friendship and neighborhood will continue in the repertoire of this theater as well”, says the creator.

According to the director: “I am happy to have the opportunity to touch the work of this extraordinary poet and I sincerely thank Valdemar Kukul’s wife Deimante for her help and trust. When reading Valdemar Kukul’s poems, you just feel the painful, sweet voice of a lonely poet and human being, which contains all human colors. In the poet’s own words: “Your loneliness and your fullness: Having lost everything, you are full of everything.”

Theater photo/Poster of the play “Everything you don’t have”.

These poems are essentially the main character and text of the play. I tried to listen, empathize with them: what states, moods can be felt, discovered in them. In the end, it was interesting to try to use stage means to give the lines such colors and shadows that you might not suspect just by reading the written words.”

Rolandas Kazlas created all his performances in “Lėlė” together with set designer Neringa Keršulyte. According to her: “While working with Roland, I felt his rare ability to open poetry. Even a simple, seemingly ordinary stanza acquires other subtexts and spaces – that undulating world of images strangely fits into an indivisible whole. You begin to see the world of the poem in a completely different way, you fill it with poetry-forms, colors, air for the eyes and let it live as a different work for the audience…

I am happy to be able to touch poetry on stage once more. Although this is not a rare phenomenon in my work, I understand more and more that it is definitely not random. Inconcrete, intangible, foreboding, fragmentary, clean – these are my words for this performance. Clean, minimalist, colorless, airless space, thrifty costumes – nothing else is needed. We want a simple, pure atmosphere for poetry to spread.”

Actress Sigita Mikalauskaitė, who plays in the play, also shares her thoughts: “It takes a special talent to tell the poetry you’ve read to someone nearby… Whether you’re writing or running 200 meters – you need talent. Roland is one of those who cross the line, beyond which there are no rules, but a feeling… A feeling that allows you to feel the sound of your land. Words, sentences, poetry flow from him like a continuous breath. Careful preparation, will and responsibility are such a bright background for rehearsals.”

The artist of the show is Neringa Keršulytė, the lighting artist is Vilius Vilutis. The play features: Rolandas Kazlas, Deivis Sarapinas, Sigita Mikalauskaitė, Vilius Kirkilionis, Almira Grybauskaitė, Dainius Tarutis, Karolis Algimantas Butvidas, Asta Stankūnaitė, Lukas Auksoraitis.