In the new season of the Theater of Freaks – the return of commedia dell’arte and premieres for children Culture

The genre loved by the audience is back

September 20 The new season of the Theater of Strangers will be opened by the Italian already loved by the Lithuanian audience comedy of art genre play “The Turquoise Monster” based on Carlo Gozzi’s play (directed by Aidas Giniotis), inviting us to see what lies deep inside a person – or a theater.

Born in Italy in the 16th century comedy of art it didn’t take long to captivate almost all of Europe, and its influence stretched centuries into the future. The secret of popularity lay in masks – characters, each of which was easily recognizable in different regions and countries. The same ones comedy of art the characters revolved around ever-new local current affairs and passions, creating a riveting combination of music, dance and wit.

Organizers photo/KT Season 37 “Turquoise monster”

Comedy of art the pioneer of the genre in Lithuania, Aidas Giniotis, takes on the fifth play of the Italian comedy classic Carlo Gozzi with “The Turquoise Monster”. This is a vivid, emotional, hopeful and magical tragicomedy centered around a story unfolding in the mystical city of Nanjing. The happiness of loved ones is disturbed by a spell – when they find themselves in foreign bodies, the heroes are forced to go through complex tests of loyalty and courage.

You will be invited to see what is hidden under the mask

“Turquoise Monster” is an allegorical story about everyday masks that imprison authenticity and self, an invitation not to succumb to the charms of physical bodies and glossy covers, but rather to see what is seen when you close your eyes and open your heart. In the center of the performance are eternal values ​​unfolding with the help of a fabulous plot, bright improvisations of the actors and a light spice of hooliganism.

„I have been a supporter of actor’s theater since my studies: directors seemed to me like enemies and usurpers who, using their position, exploit actors like puppets. That was my youthful thinking – paradoxically, I started directing myself later. However, the love for acting theater has not changed.

Comedy of art gives the actors a lot of freedom to frolic, to play theater, to experience great meaning and joy. That’s why in performances of this genre, I always talk about theater and very simple, clear values. The fabulousness, the paradoxical jumps of the plot do not allow to be sentimental and cheap, they involve us in the game – we pour hot and cold water on the audience to make them feel good,” smiles the director.

According to A.Giniotis, the Theater of the Freaks is sometimes seen as a fun, singing or even musical theater with a flavor of entertainment – then you want to show that behind the playful form there are much deeper, more complex ideas: “Turquoise Monster” also allows you to look deeper into the who hides behind the mask. Looking inward remains essential these days – especially when outer beauty is gone.”

Searching for happiness in the play for children

First published in 1968, the play “I will hunt in the summer” by Violeta Palčinskaitė, winner of the National Prize, will take on a new form on September 28 at the Keistuolii Theater. The children’s play, which has not lost its relevance for more than half a century, has been performed in over 100 theaters in Lithuania and abroad, and director Gabrielius Zapalskis and the creative team will interpret it in a whimsical spirit.

The play “I will hunt in the summer” is a look at the phenomenon of happiness, which is inseparable from freedom, which often has to be defended: the peaceful and gentle city of Pienie Pūkos is haunted by the conquerors, the Cummins. According to the director G. Zapalski, this allows to create a clear reference to the war waged by Russia in Ukraine, to talk in a subtle and understandable way for young viewers about the challenges facing European democracies and the life of each country, which is inseparable from the threat posed by the “evil neighbor”.

Although “I will chase you in the summer” is a performance for children from 5 years old, the director emphasizes that he tried not to ignore the theme of war and looked for ways to talk about it acceptable to the youngest viewers. V. Palčinskaitė’s play saw the light of day together with the Prague Spring in 1968, it has been staged many times in Ukraine as well; the creator notices that adults in “I’ll chase summer” recognize current events, while children analyze and interpret moral values, the eternal struggle between good and evil.

“Can you get tired of peace? Do we know how to value happiness? Isn’t it worth naming who it is so that you don’t have to search again or try to get it back later? All these are questions that are not subject to the viewer’s age, and we look at them with sensitivity and tenderness.

During the staging of this performance, responsibility accompanies every minute – both for the play’s performance, its legendary author, and the theater itself. This is my first directorial work at the Theater of Strangers, so together with the co-creators I aim to create something special, beautiful, impactful and necessary”, shares G. Zapalskis.

Viršuliške is unexpectedly contextualized in the photographs

Another surprise of the upcoming theater season is the portraits of the creators of the Keistuolii Theater, captured by photographer Elena Krukonytė. They reveal the uniqueness of the theater located in the Press Palace, the unexpected corners of the architecture and the faces of the creators themselves.

“We wanted to present the portraits of the creative team of the Theater of Strangers in an unconventional way, and we were looking for a way to do it by reflecting our unique character, dictated not only by personalities, but also by our location in the city. For almost four decades now, Keistuolių theater has been operating in a non-standard place for such an institution – in the so-called “sleeping” district, in Viršuliškės, in the Press Palace building.

Talking to the photographer Elena Krukonyte, who herself grew up in one of the micro-districts of Vilnius and interprets the aesthetics of these places in her own way, the idea was born to use such a unique environmental background and reveal the portraits of the creators in it”, says the author of the project idea, actress Justina Smieliauskaitė.

An expressive photo session of members of the theater team was done in an equally unique way – analog photography, wide format film. Each of the theater creators, together with the photographer E. Krukonyte, discovered a unique way to fit into the context of the Press Palace and its surroundings, “district” aesthetics, combining it with the modern spaces of the Keistuouli Theater. Their face was changed three years ago by the renovation project of the architect studio IMPLMNT, which adapted the decades-old part of the building to the needs of modern creators and viewers.