{"id":533,"date":"2019-06-18T18:50:03","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T18:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/19\/?p=533"},"modified":"2023-03-19T09:50:10","modified_gmt":"2023-03-19T09:50:10","slug":"destination-unknown-%cf%84he-lithuanian-%cf%84heatre-as-nekrosius-departs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/19\/destination-unknown-%cf%84he-lithuanian-%cf%84heatre-as-nekrosius-departs\/","title":{"rendered":"Destination Unknown: \u03a4he Lithuanian \u03a4heatre as Nekro\u0161ius Departs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Monika Ja\u0161inskait\u0117<\/strong>*<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Abstract<\/strong>: This paper presents an overview of Lithuanian theatre processes during the last four years before Eimuntas Nekro\u0161ius\u2019 death. It uses descriptive statistical analysis to look at current trends from various perspectives. It looks at the number of performances produced and introduces the most productive artists and groups. The paper presents the organisational and financial system of Lithuanian theatres and looks in more detail at the activities of national, state, municipal and independent theatres that hold professional status. The paper proposes general guidelines for understanding the main operating principles within the Lithuanian theatre system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keywords:<\/strong> Nekro\u0161ius, Grau\u017einis, Kor\u0161unovas, Tuminas, Tertelis, Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre, Kamil\u0117 Gudmonait\u0117<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Laima \u017demulien\u0117: Could you briefly describe your theatre?
Eimuntas Nekro\u0161ius: I never analyse theatre. Theatre is theatre. It could be squeezed into a frame of some kind, but then it would become theory, and I am against theories. Theatre is spontaneous\u2014one moment it is born, another it is already dying; it must have sounds and smells. It shouldn\u2019t be discussed in big words. There are many beautiful books written about theatre. (From an interview, 1992)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, an increasing number of Lithuanian\ntheatre artists have come to be regarded highly on the international scene.\nMeanwhile, within Lithuania, there has been an inspirational change of\npersonnel within the management of the leading, state-funded theatres; a change\nwhich, in turn, is creating opportunities for other changes. However, it has\nalso been a very sad time, due to the untimely passing of some important\ntheatre figures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, in particular, we bade farewell to Eimuntas\nNekro\u0161ius, whose work mesmerised theatregoers for more than four decades, and\nwho was one of the most acclaimed Lithuanian theatre directors. In addition, Viktorija\nIvanova, a young theatre scholar and theatre project manager, left us before\nshe even reached the age of thirty; her notable career cut short before it had\na chance to fully blossom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The last performance directed by Nekro\u0161ius in Lithuania, Saulius \u0160altenis’ Sons of Bitches<\/em>, Klaip\u0117da Drama Theatre, 2018. In front: Regina \u0160altenyt\u0117 as Maria. Photo: Dmitrij Matvejev<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the European context, over the last few decades, Nekro\u0161ius,\nCezaris Grau\u017einis, Oskaras Kor\u0161unovas and Rimas Tuminas have been the best known\nand most influential Lithuanian theatre directors. Still, important though they\nare, they account for only a small part of the nation\u2019s theatrical output. In a\ncountry of fewer than three million people, there have been, in the last four\nyears, more than 500 new plays,[1]<\/sup><\/a>\n of which Grau\u017einis directed only one\nwork, whilst Nekro\u0161ius directed four and Kor\u0161unovas thirteen. We have never had\nas many theatre creators (directors, dramatists, actors\nand others) initiating new performing arts projects.\nIt is, therefore, high time to take a panoramic view of contemporary Lithuanian\ntheatre\u2014and to do so without big words, and from (to us Lithuanians) the\nsomewhat unusual perspective of numbers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2015, the number of stage productions in\nLithuania has increased constantly. In 2018, there were 20 per cent more\nproductions than in 2015. As with much of the country\u2019s cultural life, the performing\narts are concentrated primarily in the capital\ncity, Vilnius; around 40 per cent of new theatre productions are created in the\ncity, which is home to 25 (that is, more than half) of the institutions working\nin the professional performing arts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we add the second and third cities of Kaunas and\nKlaip\u0117da, we can see that 70 to 80 per cent of new plays are being presented in\nthe major Lithuanian cities. Partly, this is due to a certain dynamism within\nthe state-funded institutions. However, it is also because of the greater\nconcentration of independent theatres in those cities. The remaining\nproductions are made in state and city theatres in \u0160iauliai, Panev\u0117\u017eys, Alytus,\n\u0160ilut\u0117 and Kelm\u0117. In other locations, there are no professional theatre\norganisations and no professional theatrical productions are being created. However,\nthe stages of cultural centres in the smaller towns do show touring productions\nfrom the larger cities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Performance for babies Water Adventure<\/em>, choreographed by Birut\u0117 Banevi\u010di\u016bt\u0117, \u0160iauliai Drama Theatre, 2018. Photo: Saulius Jankauskas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of theatre audiences, the majority (approximately\n70 per cent) of productions staged annually are made for adults. Around 25 per\ncent (no small proportion) are created with children of various ages in mind.\nLately, the youngest audience members (babies and children under the age of three)\nhave also attracted the attention of performance artists. Nonetheless, it\nshould be noted that only four to six per cent of new plays are created for\nadolescents and youth, and half of them are made in Vilnius. So, it can be said\nthat, in the regions further from the centre of the country, theatre has\nforgotten perhaps the most sensitive age group, which is living through unique\nperiods of change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dramatic\ntheatre,[2]<\/sup><\/a>\nwhich is much loved in Lithuania, accounts\nfor at least 70 per cent of productions created in the country each year.\nHaving inherited the oral theatre tradition\nand been trained by the older generation of theatre creators, Lithuanian\ntheatre artists are not eager to choose less traditional theatre forms;\nperformance art\/live art and new circus productions make up less than two per\ncent of new works. The remaining 28 per cent of live stage shows are split, more\nor less equally, between musical theatre (operas, operettas, musicals and\nmusical dramas) and dance theatre (ballet and contemporary dance). The most\ncommon price for a show in Lithuania is between 10 and 15 euros (although there\nare some performances that cost between 7 and 10 euros; only shows for children\nmay be cheaper than this).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lithuanian national opera and ballet theatre; the most important place for opera in Lithuania. From Vincenzo Bellini’s opera I Kapuletti e i Montecchi<\/em>, directed by Vincent Boussard, 2017. Viktorija Mi\u0161k\u016bnait\u0117 as Giulietta. Photo: Martynas Aleksa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The majority of musical productions are created at the\nLithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, and at the Kaunas, Klaip\u0117da and\nPanev\u0117\u017eys musical theatres. Most often, these are quite traditional\nproductions, with one particular production company, Operomanija (which does\nnot hold professional theatre creator status), presenting itself as an\nindependent creator of unusual contemporary opera performances. Operomanija produced\nthe opera performance work Saul\u0117 ir j\u016bra<\/em>\n(Sun and Sea<\/em>), which will be staged\nat the 2019 Venice Biennale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The situation in the dance sector is somewhat different.\nTraditional ballet shows make up barely 10per cent of dance\nproductions. The absolute leader in the field is the Lithuanian National Opera\nand Ballet Theatre. The largest sub-section of contemporary dance artists work in\ntheir own independent theatres. The most productive at the moment is the Aura dance-theatre\ncompany, which is funded by Kaunas City Municipality and run by choreographer\nBirut\u0117 Letukait\u0117.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eimuntas Nekro\u0161ius: We have an apartment and an old car. Our salaries are enough for us to eat, and to pay for the fuel, Prima cigarettes, coffee and newspapers. We don\u2019t need that much. By the way, I keep intending to stop buying and reading newspapers. After all, it costs three to four litas, and it\u2019s like a drug. I promise to stop reading them, like I promise to quit smoking, and I can\u2019t quit either. (From an interview, 1994) <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Since 1990, when the country became independent from\nthe Soviet Union, Lithuanian theatrehas, inevitably, been through a period of change.\nHowever, it should be recognised that Lithuanians are quite a conservative people.\nConsequently, the changes to the theatre system over the last 30 years have not\nbeen as numerous, or as radical, as one might have assumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost half the organisations holding \u201cprofessional\nperforming arts institution\u201d status continue to be state-funded: these include\nthree theatres holding the status of a national theatre, 10 state theatres and 9\ncity theatres. These theatres produce about 60 per cent of the new plays, and\nthe percentage of the work they present continues to grow. It should be noted\nthat all these theatres have their own performance spaces and employment budgets,\nmost of which are allocated to the salaries of administrators, performers and\ntechnicians. According to the data of the Lithuanian Department of Statistics,\nthe number of spectators attending state-funded theatres between 2015 and 2017\nincreased slightly, reaching 767,000 in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the remaining part (about 40 per cent) of new\nLithuanian stage work is created in the independent sector, most often these\nproductions are partly funded by the state. The most popular (and often the\nonly) funding source in the country is the fund administered by the Lithuanian\nCouncil for Culture, which funds up to 80 per cent of new projects. Although\nthis organisation allocates funds based on certain criteria and, of course, not\nto everyone who applies, Lithuanian performing artists and their managers tend\nto rely on it too heavily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2015, according to the data of the Lithuanian\nDepartment of Statistics, the number of independent theatre spectators was\nhigher than state-funded theatres and reached 735,000. However, in 2016, the\nindependent scene lost more than 200,000 spectators. In 2017, the audiences of\nindependent theatres increased again and reached 628,000. However, this growth\nmay be related, not to any real change in the situation but to the increased\nnumber of professional theatres covered by the statistical research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video 1<\/h6>\n\n