“We can no longer remain silent. Due to the ambitions of the director, Antanas Venckus, the theater is collapsing from the foundations,” warns former Juozas Miltinis Drama Theater actor Mindaugas Ancevičius.
A. Špilevojus, who left the theater last February, did not say much – he motivated his decision by “different perceptions of professionalism and ethical standards.” Until now, the internal problems of the theater remained behind closed doors, but drastic decisions adjusting the theater’s repertoire prompted louder discussions about them.
“I am involved in long legal processes due to experienced mobbing. I entered them not for my own benefit, but so that the Panevėžys theater would simply survive. I care about this theater and had a beautiful creative time with Aleksandras Špilevojus and all the people creating there,” Mindaugas Ancevičius tells the news portal JP.
Last year, the theater management, without stating a reason, did not renew the contract with the actor, although he created eight roles over two seasons that received positive feedback from the audience and critics.
Ultimatum
Tadas Gryn left the Juozas Miltinis Drama Theater troupe in July this year and planned to continue working at this theater as a freelance actor – preparing for an intense marathon of twelve performances.
According to T. Gryn, he received a unilaterally prepared employment contract four days before the first showing of “Macbeth.”
“They sent me a contract in which they wrote all the working conditions themselves, without reaching a full mutual agreement. This is the interest of one party, a proposal with an ultimatum that if I do not sign their contract, they will cancel the performance and will not enter into any further talks,” the actor told the news portal JP.
T. Gryn described this type of communication as blackmail. According to the actor, it took more than a month to negotiate the contract, but without reaching an agreement, the performance dates were publicized, tickets were sold, and later the performance was canceled.
“Last night, on August 4, I called the artistic director and asked him to convey to the theater management that I am ready to talk so that the performance can take place. I asked them to call me this morning, August 5, but I did not receive a call. Then I called the theater director myself and invited him to dialogue, but he told me that everything was decided, he would do nothing more, and they would cancel the performance,” said T. Gryn.
Theater’s response
The theater director Antanas Venckus, instead of answering the questions personally posed by the news portal JP, issued a public relations statement published on the Juozas Miltinis Drama Theater’s “Facebook” page on the afternoon of August 6.
“<…> The version of the situation spread in the public space does not reflect all the circumstances.
After the actor unilaterally terminated the employment relationship with the theater on his own initiative, we immediately began negotiations regarding his further participation in the performances of “Macbeth,” as our goal was to preserve the planned shows and not disappoint the audience.
During the negotiations, the financial conditions requested by the actor significantly exceeded the theater’s capabilities and the established payment practice. Nevertheless, the theater made the maximum possible offer corresponding to the remuneration of guest theater actors performing main roles. Unfortunately, no agreement was reached.”
“The theater will be left without an audience”
According to M. Ancevičius, tension in the theater had been brewing for several years. “The cat is out of the bag” – that is how he describes the current situation, calling A. Venckus’s leadership methods dictatorial.
“While I was working there, I tried to ignore the mobbing and focus on the work. After the theater terminated the contract, I entered legal processes, but not through the press, rather trying to fix the situation according to the principles of law and justice. But we can no longer remain silent. The situation is such that the theater itself is collapsing from the foundations. When they remove all the performances in which Tadas acts or Aleksandras directed, the theater will be left without a repertoire, the city of Panevėžys without performances, and the theater without an audience,” worries M. Ancevičius.
T. Gryn acts in A. Špilevojus’s performances such as “The Island That Does Not Exist,” “St. Speigas,” “Jona,” and “Arrivederci.” Tickets for the director’s performances often sell out months before the shows. “Macbeth” was no exception.
“They, the theater management, are silent about one fact – not only all twelve performances of ‘Macbeth’ were canceled. It seems that ‘Macbeth’ will disappear entirely. Tadas also acts in all my other performances. So now it is unclear whether my performances will remain in the theater at all. They have already informed me that they want to replace him with another actor in all performances. So if I don’t replace him, there will be no performances,” explains A. Špilevojus.
M. Ancevičius described A. Špilevojus’s creative contribution to the Juozas Miltinis Drama Theater as very significant.
“The theater was on the rise, people came from Vilnius, other cities, even from abroad to watch performances, and suddenly, due to the ambitions of the authorities and complete incompetence, everything is falling to pieces,” says actor M. Ancevičius.
Understand instantly
After news spread about possible Jazzu and Tadas Gryn wedding – the actor himself spoke out
All “Macbeth” performances canceled at the last moment – Tadas Gryn shocked: “Maybe this is an attempt to get rid of me”
A. Špilevojus evaluates the current situation bluntly – dismissing mystical curses, he draws attention to professional negligence.
“There are those who believe in the Macbeth curse. There are those who believe in the Miltinis curse. But most often, everything is much simpler – if you can no longer or do not want to perform your job professionally, you get such a crash. And if you are a leader, you bring such a crash not only to yourself but to a large number of other people,” the director told the news portal JP.
