The Story of Severija

The performance based on the story by Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas is worthy of the attention of the true gourmets of literature and theatre. The main role is played by Agnė Šataitė, who was awarded the Golden Stage Cross in 2014. Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas (1869-1933) was one of the most prominent personalities over the first half of the 20th century, the figure of the national revival and modern culture, the priest, writer and educator. The creative peak of Vaižgantas is his story Uncles and Aunts, issued in 1929.

As Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas wrote, Uncles and Aunts means not so much a kinship, but rather a social relationship between the owners inheriting the farm, and uncles who stay there for work and misery, whose status is somewhere in between a servant, an employee and a family member, but worse than a hireling, because they work without compensation, mostly “for food and little clothing“. The story created by director Gabrielė Tuminaitė depicts precisely these “uncles” and “aunts”: Mykoliukas – actors Vainius Sodeika and Karolis Kasperavičius, Severiutė – actress Agnė Šataitė and Rapolas – actor Mindaugas Capas. The characters created by a master’s hand, although placed in the rough conditions of the serfdom village, are able to have very deeply feelings, watching and perceiving themselves, and experiencing the highest moments of being.

“This is a story of everyone of us, all of us are Mykoliukas and Severiutė. We lose, we let the happiness off our hands and do not know who to blame. The story of Mykoliukas and Severiutė is not only the vision of love. This is the moment when the dream is created of pain and loneliness, when the world is breaking because life is too strong and you just are left with the daily duty – to live. Only the dream helps. This piece reminded us of our dreams and we share them with the audience“, says the director Gabrielė Tuminaitė.

In the performance of the Small Theatre highlights the strong sides of Vaižgantas’ story: condensed storyline, a mix of lyricism and rough sexuality, but most importantly, the exclusive character of Severija. She is open, temperamental, refreshing. “She is fully in line with the Vaižgantas’ vital human formula and is the star of the performance“, wrote the literature critic Regimantas Tamošaitis on Severija by Agnė Šataitė.

„Tai kiekvieno iš mūsų istorija, mes visi – mykoliukai ir severiutės. Prarandam, paleidžiam laimę iš rankų, ir nežinia, kas dėl to kaltas. Mykoliuko ir Severiutės istorija – ne tik meilės vizija. Tai akimirka, kai iš skausmo ir vienatvės susikuria svajonė, kai dūžta pasaulis, nes gyvenimas per stiprus, ir lieka tik kasdienė pareiga – gyventi. Tik ta vienintelė svaja ir gelbsti. Šis kūrinys mums, kūrybinei grupei, priminė mūsų svajones, jomis ir dalinamės su žiūrovais“.

Gabrielė Tuminaitė, režisierė

*

„Nepaprastai gyvybinga Agnės Šataitės Severija: gaivališkas energijos proveržis derinamas su primityviojo žmogaus naivumu, kažkoks grubus ir nestilizuotas grožis išreiškiamas dinamiška scenine kūno kalba, siautulingais dvasios proveržiais. Iš pradžių buvusi statiška iliustratyvi figūra, Severija po truputį atgyja, įsisiautėja ir nė vieno nepalieka abejingo. Ji visiškai atitinka Vaižganto vitališkojo žmogaus formulę ir yra spektaklio žvaigždė.“ 

Regimantas Tamošaitis, literatūrologas

Festivals, tours, awards:

2014 – 5th Professional Tamulevičiūtė Theatre Festival in Varėna (Lithuania) – a prize for the best young actress to Agnė Šataitė, a prize for the best young actor to Vainius Sodeika, a prize for the best supporting role to Mindaugas Capas.

2014 – 30th Lithuanian Professional Theatre Festival Acting for farmers in Rokiškis – a special prize to Agnė Šataitė.

2015 – 19th Professional Theatre Festival Žaldokynės kraštas in Biržai (Lithuania).

2015 – International Tumanishvili Theatre Festival GIFT (Georgia).

2016 – Nanluoguxiang Theatre Festival (Honkong).