“Quanta” (dir. Lukasz Twarkowski, Lithuanian National Drama Theatre)
The Lithuanian National Drama Theater started the new season with the performance “Quanta” by the Polish director Lukasz Twarkowski, who is not the first resident here. The director seems to be continuing to develop themes of time and the labyrinths of the human subconscious here, with this play set in the Swiss mountains of the Les Moires hotel one summer evening, the properties of physical space and time are disrupted, leaving the hotel guests no longer able to understand who is happening – both in the environment and in their heads. It can be expected from L. Twarkowski that, just like in the performances “Loki” and “Republika”, there will be a lot of theater and cinema synthesis, good music, inclusiveness and immersion in the states and the created atmosphere. The work should be balanced for those who do not require a classic and clear plot from the theater, and technology (and their great abundance) does not cause horror in modern theater art.
Sirens International Theater Festival
The months of September and October can no longer be imagined by theater fans without the international theater festival “Sirens”. Every year, this festival introduces the Lithuanian audience to some of the most relevant theater names and presents a collection of Lithuanian theater, in which it tries to gather the most important works of the previous season. This time, the festival’s international program focuses on Ukrainian creators and the theme of war (two performances “City of Mary. The Siege Diaries” and “No One Killed Today” are dedicated to this) and the variety of forms. Those looking for stylish and contemporary visual theater should enjoy The Inner Picture, which is about theater and imagination, while those interested in what’s happening to the earth and the natural sciences should be impressed by Pleasant Island and Out of the Blue, which are continuation of each other.
“Mahamaya Electronic Device” (dir. Iwan Wyrypaew, Juozas Miltinis Drama Theater of Panevėžys)
When considering where to visit in order to get out of the cultural bubble of the capital, it is worth paying attention to the Panevėžys Juoz Miltinis Drama Theater, which has been visited by more and more interesting and well-known theater names recently. This season, the theater opens with the play “Mahamaya Electronic Device” by one of the most prominent contemporary playwrights, Ivan Vyrypayev. Vyrypayev’s style is characterized by domestic, but at the same time poetic language with a touch of irony. Social issues and situations are explored in a hyper-realistic manner, often addressing the viewer directly. This production should delve into the deepest depths of the human essence, without staying too long in them – the duration of the piece is just under an hour, and it is called a performance/experience. For those who are looking for certainty in the theater, but are temporary and are not afraid of some such stage experiments.
“Shopping and Fucking” (dir. Jonas Kuprevičius, State Youth Theater)
Those who have heard about Mark Ravenhill’s play “Shopping and Fucking” are probably at least somewhat interested in culture, because it is based on one of Oskars Koršunov’s cult performances, which marked a turning point in Lithuanian theatrical aesthetics. The era of the Oskar Korshunov Theater (OKT) began with this play. After 25 years, the play attributed to the “In yer face” (new realism) theater movement is being revived in the State Youth Theater in the hands of the young director Jonas Kuprevičius. For the consumerist world, a work that does not spare criticism, in which the outcasts of society act. the director intends to unlock by asking a fundamental question – is there a place for real feelings in today’s society?
“Enchanted Mountain” (dir. Krystianas Lupa, State Youth Theater)
“Enchanted Mountain” was first presented at the Salzburg International Theater Festival – it is director Krystian Lupa’s third work in Lithuania in recent years. The collaboration between the current director of the State Theater, Audronis Liuga, and one of the most prominent names in the theater, Krystian Lupa, which began during the play “Heroes’ Square”, has been going on for almost a decade and brings to the stage the audience the opportunity to experience the “Magic of the Lupi Theater”. Lupa’s performances are often long, meditative, often dealing with complex themes and characterized by exceptional acting, because in order to achieve the desired result, the director uses his own method of working with the actor, during which he tries to unlock the actor’s ability to convey the atmosphere and the totality of the character’s states. Based on the book by Thom Mann, the performance should appeal to those who value experience and engaging work of actors in the theater.
“Stranger” (dir. Jernej Lorenci, Lithuanian National Drama Theater)
The Lithuanian National Drama Theater is always trying to invite famous foreign names, and it somehow coincides that those names could be seen by the Lithuanian audience at the “Sirens” festival. It seems as if the theater is following the line of combining classical literature and international names, since last year it presented “Metamorphosis” directed by Oliver Frljičius to the audience. This year, one of the brightest names in Slovenian theater – Jernej Lorenci – who, by the way, could be seen in Sirens in the same year as Frljičić, presents his version of The Stranger based on Albert Camus. Lorenci chooses to maintain his own character in his theater, characterized by a bright individuality and attempts to solve the banality of evil. According to the director, Merso, the main character of “Stranger”, is an iconic 20th century. a figure in literature and philosophy that represents not having a position, observing from the side. Who would he be today?
The program of the arts festival “Plartforma”.
The “Plartforma” international arts festival, which has already started in Klaipėda and its surroundings, offers the audience works of contemporary dance, circus and theater. Although the festival program is not extensive, it is worth paying attention to the spectators who spend time in the port city and miss more interesting forms. Perhaps the most prominent work in it is the premiere of the contemporary dance performance “Suk suk” presented by Dovydas Strimaitis together with the Šeikos Dance Theater, in which a dialogue is established between traditional and contemporary dances. Here, the creators intend to use the circle shape, which is very often used in folk dances, which is characteristic of the folklore of many cultures.
“Return” (dir. Naubertas Jasinskas, Klaipėda Drama Theater)
The productions of the young generation director Naubert Jasinskas are always distinguished by their preserved, refined aesthetics and stylish, modern visuals. This can be expected in his latest premiere based on the story of Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño, which intends to show the world upside down. Metaphorically, of course, because it is not the whole world that changes, but the feelings and love of two different people. The director is no stranger to the topic of complicated feelings – last winter at the State Small Theater he presented the play “Unfaithful” based on Ingmar Bergman’s script, in which he explored in detail the themes of authority, loyalty and the entanglements of love and feelings. This production should be of interest to those who are looking for aesthetics in the theater and are indifferent to subtle and aesthetically presented dramas.
Three works of the NGO and Vilnius Old Theater according to the competition
The renewed Vilnius Old Theater promises a lot of news this season, so you should probably watch the repertoire of this theater throughout the season. One of the more interesting projects is co-productions with non-governmental professional performing arts organizations. In July, the Vilnius Old Theater announced an open call and chose three works that should appear on the stage: VšĮ “Artūros Areimas Teatras” drama performance “The Hour of the Lynx” based on the play of the same name by Per Olovs Enquist (directed by Artūras Areima), association “Teatronas” contemporary a circus and theater performance based on the first uncensored edition of the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales (directed by Gildas Aleksa) and the immersion theater work “Taxi Vilnius” by VšĮ “Pasak” (author: Tinka Werner and the team of co-creators). All projects represent quite different directions of theater and should purposefully complement the repertoire of the Vilnius Old Theater.
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2024-09-22 20:19:52