Download “Fundamentalist” has opened the 72nd season of Lithuanian

“Fundamentalists”– an opening play for the 72nd season of Lithuanian
national drama theatre
On the 30th of August this year Juha Jokela‟s play “Fundamentalist” has opened the 72nd season
of Lithuanian national drama theatre. Directed by theatre and film director and lecturer Jonas
Vaitkus (1944) well known in Lithuania and throughout Europe, the play gained great reviews
both from audience of professional and non-professional backgrounds.
J.Vaitkus‟ play entitled “Fundamentalists” is being performed by two casts – vivid and emotional
Rasa Samuolytė (Heidi) along with Povilas Budrys (Marcus) and deeply touching Ramunė
Skardžiūnaitė (Heidi) and Remigijus Bučius (Marcus).
“The theme background of “Fundamentalists”, these endless questions about life, death, religion
and faith are important for everyone – atheists, Christians, Orthodox, Krishna‟s followers,
whoever. But the real importance should be pointed at the fact how each of them comes to these
questions, what or who drives them to the solutions. Because there are always people who get
lost, get stuck in between religions and loses comprehension of who they are and what is going
on around them.
“Fundamentalists” are telling a story for every corner of the society – young ones and old ones,
those who had lost faith and those who are constantly changing their beliefs. In this play a certain
role is being played by this very sensitive and electrified field of questions rising around main
characters - him and her. The play itself is wonderfully stunning at the point that it starts at the
end of the story. At the beginning it looks like Marcus has made a firm decision to abandon
priest‟s ministry. But he transforms throughout the play. As he acts and travels back and forth
through the most important periods of time, it gets absolutely clear that his standpoint is infirm.
He‟s changed. Only after going through his past he analyses the specter of new ideas and
opportunities he‟s hit only because of a certain woman. I believe that “Fundamentalists” has
brought us a new angle of view on dramaturgy.
The play is open, sincere and uncovered. There is no set and everything is built on the
conscience of performer. “Fundamentalists” are fundamentally about the core of humane
values”, - director Jonas Vaitkus.
Excerpts from national reviews:
„...Vaitkus and performers succeeded to create ambiguous, questioning characters. Neither the
revolutionary pastor nor hyper religious sectarian Heidi are far more than daily banalities. And
Marcus„s slogan is much more than a hackneyed quote. It says that any truth is not as direct as
we tend to see it. The world is not only black and white. That is why at the end of the play you
are not able to judge on which one was the right one…”
By Dalius Jonkus, weekly paper “Šiaurės Atėnai”, 2011-09-16
“…a selection of greatly performed characters and genre episodes gives this minimal yet
punctual theatrical load to the play. The uncovered and painfully minimal performance itself can
be appreciated as a great play not only as an improvised theology lecture on stage…”
By Konstantinas Borkovskis, weekly paper “7 meno dienos”, 2011-09-16
“… J.Vaikus‟s “Fundamentalists” – a Lithuanian national drama theatre season opening play is
exceptionally urgent. A well considered directors decision to move the play of the distant and
over-obligating great stage to the theatre foyer vastly multiplies it‟s connection with the
audience. Every one of us are engaged in the play, every one of us are looking for “historical
and symbolical way to read the Bible…”
By Aušra Gudavičiūtė, Lithuanian Christian community website Bernardinai.lt,
2011-09-06
“Chaos”: the anthology of aggression
A hit comedy by playwright and director, general director of Finnish national theatre Mika
Myllyaho is going to be the second premiering play in the 72nd season of Lithuanian national
drama theatre. The premiere is going to be held on the 7th of October, 2011.
American director of Russian ancestry Yana Ross is interpreting this intellectual comedy through
a feminine view to the very anthology of aggression and violence. Y. Ross entitles “Chaos” as an
on stage examination and projection of contemporary human beings: those over controlling and
those balancing on a very thin line psychological crisis.
The cast is formed from well know Lithuanian actors, a greatly professional troupe of
improvisers. Three main characters will be performed by three bright, charismatic actresses of
different generations representing different faces, characters and schools of Lithuanian theatre.
Dramatic and emotional Dalia Michelevičiūtė (teacher Sofi), vivid and ironical Rimantė
Valiukaitė (therapist Julia) and wild-at-heart Toma Vaškevičiūtė (journalist Emmi) creates
lively, dramatic yet humorous characters. Along with the rest of cast (Jolanta Dapkūnaitė,
Algirdas Gradauskas and Džiugas Siaurusaitis interpreting other characters of the play) they
create a true experience of a well balanced tragicomedy.
“In this play lives of three strong yet breaking women will be projected through a lence of public
comments and events. We will uncover our daily grotesque and brutality: degenerated family
values, craziness of career rollercoaster, dulling routine and a very fragile limit parting a rational
instinct to survive and irrational desire to lose control.
“Chaos” will uncover the true reality of contemporary society: the one that is disguised by
endless social rituals, the one that disgusts us in the yellow press, the one that forces us to wear
different masks daily until we explode.
“Chaos” will be very visual. A great load of its impression will be created through video
projections and live transmission from on and off stage. The stage itself will represent a
claustrophobic black box with walls marked all over with hieroglyphs of our consumer society –
hundreds, thousands of coffee-to-go recipes that are pushing us to choose and buy, choose and
buy and all over again”, - tells director Y. Ross.
Lithuanian National Drama theatre info.