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”Mistras” by Marius Ivaškevičius – When Reality Surpasses Fantasy

2011-07-07 Menų faktūra, 2010 09 22

Adam Mickiewicz (Jokūbas Bareikis) and Andrzej Towiański (Ramūnas Cicėnas) in ”Mistras”. Photo by Dmitry Matvejev

The premiere of a two-act performance took place at the State Small Theatre of Vilnius on September 29-30. Just like the Madagascar, the performance Mistras by Marius Ivaškevičius encourages the audience to cast an untraditional glance at famous historical figures and to reconsider the identity of the Lithuanian nation casting away all stereotypes. The performance Mistras concentrates on the biography and fate of legendary poet Adam Mickiewicz. The play reveals a rather "exotic" picture of Lithuania - the country, where, "Everything is still very confusing and uncrystallized: Russia with Poland in it, Poland with Lithuania in it, and Lithuania with Indians ready to explode;" the country, where people wish each other "to resurrect in literature" while raising their glasses (Lithuanian Būk sveikas! and English interpretation Books wake us!) and consider "all lands to be equally strange."

The performance directed by Rimas Tuminas is reminiscent of a magnificent mystery as well as of Requiem for both a striking and ghastly epoch of Romanticism, when magic powers were attributed to human spirit and it was believed that they could change the world.

Mistras - performed by actor Ramūnas Cicėnas on the stage of the State Small Theatre of Vilnius - is Lithuanian landlord Andrzej Towiański, who proclaims himself vicar of God on earth and establishes the sect Divine Cause in Paris. His mystical ideas overwhelm middle-aged poet Adam Mickiewicz (played by Jokūbas Bareikis), who, at that time, is in search of the meaning of life and a new source of inspiration.

Arts Factory information

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