The new season will bring viewers world-renowned theater names, classic interpretations, and performances for children. The Kaunas State Musical Theatre is preparing a technically complex musical “Shrek,” the National Kaunas Drama Theatre will host German director Thomas Ostermeier for the first time in Lithuania, and the Kaunas State Puppet Theatre will stage Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas’ “In the Shadow of the Altars.”
Read more Nepal – rescue operation: about 100 people trapped in a flood-filled tunnel
One of Europe’s brightest theater directors will come to Kaunas
The National Kaunas Drama Theatre begins its 107th season with the slogan “Catch the Wind.” After all, the wind cannot be seen or stopped, but its effect can be felt. The new season’s program includes significant international collaborations, tours at prestigious theater festivals, new premieres, and a festival inviting a different perspective on theater accessibility.
One of the most important events of the season will be the premiere in January 2027 of one of the most influential contemporary European theater directors, Thomas Ostermeier, based on William Shakespeare’s play “An Eye for an Eye.” The production by T. Ostermeier, artistic director of Berlin’s “Schaubühne” theater, will be the first staging by this artist in the Baltic countries.
Introducing the upcoming play, the director spoke about the desire to raise the question of how to make the world a better place. According to him, it is a complex play with no single correct answer.
The international theater direction will be visible this season not only in Kaunas. In September, the National Kaunas Drama Theatre’s play “Dorian,” created by director Robert Wilson, will open one of the most important and longest-running Latin American international festivals – FIBA in Buenos Aires. The play will be shown at the legendary “Teatro Coliseo.”
This is not the only presentation of R. Wilson’s work in Argentina – in February 2027, another of the director’s plays, “Seven Solitudes” based on O. Milašius, is planned to be shown at the “Teatro Colón” in Buenos Aires.
From September, the National Kaunas Drama Theatre will start operating a theater school for children and teenagers called “Young Stage.” The school’s head, actor Andrius Gaučas, based on international practice, will invite children and youth with colleagues to discover the stage and backstage, develop imagination, creativity, and the ability to work together.
The first premieres of the 107th season will await viewers in October. On October 6, at the Raudondvaris Cultural Center, the premiere of young director Dominykas Matulionis based on American playwright Nathan Richard Nash’s play “The Rainmaker” will take place.
Created together with actors from the National Kaunas Drama Theatre, the play will tell about faith and hope, and its presentation in the Kaunas region will continue the theater’s creative collaboration with the region.
On October 16, the National Kaunas Drama Theatre stage will host the premiere of the British playwright Lucy Prebble’s play “The Effect.” It is directed by young creator Justinas Vinciūnas. The play centers on a clinical trial of new antidepressants with volunteers, unexpectedly turning into a story about love, relationships, and trying to understand one’s feelings. In March 2027, J. Vinciūnas will direct another premiere based on Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse’s play “I Am the Wind.”
In May, the younger generation of viewers will await Karolis Zajauskas’ “The Stranger” based on Albert Camus’ novel – a classic of European existentialism.
“The work has never been as inert as it is today,” said K. Zajauskas introducing the play.
At the end of October, the National Kaunas Drama Theatre troupe will travel to Poland. The play “Lithuanian All Souls’ Day” based on Adam Mickiewicz, directed by Jakub Skrzywanek, will be presented at the international Kielce festival.
From November 10 to 20, the festival “Dive into Theater” will take place at the National Kaunas Drama Theatre. This time it will invite a closer look at the rapidly growing worldwide practice of “Relaxed Performance” – performances adapted to various audience needs.
The festival will focus on neurodiversity and the question of how theater can become more accessible to people experiencing the world in different ways. The program includes performances from Ireland, Denmark, Norway, and Lithuania, as well as discussions about accessibility practices in theaters worldwide.
Introducing the season, NKDT director Egidijus Stancikas emphasized that theater should not just cater to the audience.
The audience will not like it, but you must not cater to the audience, give not only entertainment but also a meeting with oneself.
“The audience will not like it, but you must not cater to the audience, give not only entertainment but also a meeting with oneself,” he said.
“Shrek” – with a huge dragon and 64 actors
The Kaunas State Musical Theatre will start the 2026–2027 season with one of the most outstanding premieres – on October 2, the musical “Shrek” will arrive on stage.
The theater calls this production probably the most expensive and technically complex in its history. Special constructions, complex decorations, masks, puppets, video projections, special effects, and even a huge moving dragon that will interact with actors and the audience are being created for the stage.
“This is a huge challenge for our theater in every sense,” said the play’s director Kęstutis Stasys Jakštas.
Creating the world of “Shrek” on stage requires many different solutions. Set designer Giedrė Brazytė said that a metal grid specially made for the play will be walked on by actors, and musicians will play underneath it.
“A bunch of people are creating the scenography,” said G. Brazytė about the scale of the production.
One of the most complex characters in the play is the huge puppet-dragon. According to the creators, it will not only move on stage but also blink its eyes, interact with actors and the audience, and spit fire.
The construction company “Autokausta” contributed to the complex technical project, helping to implement the orchestra box covering system needed for the stage design.
“Without this company, we probably would not have solved the technical ideas,” said Benjaminas Želvys, head of the Kaunas State Musical Theatre.
The play will feature 35 different fairy tale characters, and together with understudies, 64 actors will perform in it.
“No, this is not a children’s play; it is for the whole family, every adult will find themselves in it,” said B. Želvys.
Director K. S. Jakštas emphasized that it is important for the creators not only to tell a fun fairy tale but also to talk about today’s children’s world.
“This play is for all age groups; I fear that after me live generations who do not read fairy tales, living in virtual reality,” he said.
The musical’s story covers themes of acceptance, friendship, love, and self-discovery.
“Love always wins, mutual understanding, and evil loses,” said K. S. Jakštas.
After the “Shrek” premiere, the theater stage will prepare for another big production – on March 5, 2027, the premiere of Johann Strauss’s operetta “The Bat” will take place. It will return to the theater stage for the fifth time.
Operetta director Andrius Žiurauskas says he wants the creative team to work as one organism.
Read more Two strangers injured a young man in Alytus
“I hope we will speak one language with the whole troupe; I missed them very much,” he said.
Puppet theater: from Čiurlionis to “In the Shadow of the Altars”
The Kaunas State Puppet Theatre will start its 69th season on August 30 with the traditional season opening celebration “To the Land of Fairy Tales!” The theater’s surroundings will turn into a fairy tale town that day, and viewers will see for the first time the newest play for the whole family “Home Sweet Home,” directed by Jūratė Trimakaitė.
One of the most important events of the autumn season will be the premiere for adults “Čiurlionis’ Notes,” presented on September 19 and 22. It is directed by Georgian director Nikoloz Sabashvili. This is a joint project of the Kaunas State Puppet Theatre and Georgian puppeteers, revealing M.K. Čiurlionis’ inner world in a contemporary way.
On October 10–11, the puppet theater will present the premiere of the play “Moomin Trolls. The Comet is Coming” based on Tove Jansson’s work. This year marks the 80th anniversary of this book.
On December 5–6, young viewers will await the Christmas premiere “One Tale,” directed by Darius Krapikas. In the main hall, the play “A Gift for Santa Claus,” directed by A. Žiurauskas, will also be shown.
In spring 2027, the repertoire will be supplemented by the play “In the Shadow of the Altars,” directed by Agnė Sunklodaitė, based on Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas’ novel. The work, intended for adults and youth, will be a meeting with one of the most significant stories in Lithuanian literary history and an opportunity to view it through the expression of contemporary puppet theater.
“The play presents a contemporary human perspective on the work ‘In the Shadow of the Altars’,” said A. Sunklodaitė.
On May 15, the premiere of the play “Gardens,” directed by Ieva Jackevičiūtė, intended for the youngest theater viewers, is also planned.
The theater director Rasa Bartninkaitė said that this season the puppet theater will hold six premieres, two of which will be aimed at adult and youth audiences.
“The number of children in the nation is decreasing, but not in theater halls,” said R. Bartninkaitė.
The number of children in the nation is decreasing, but not in theater halls.
According to her, the main goal of the theater remains to create for children, but the puppet theater creators want to reach as many viewers as possible not only in Kaunas.
“We are most pleased that we will perform not only for the people of Kaunas but also for other regions,” said the theater director.
This season, puppet performances will travel to European festivals in Slovenia and Romania, Scandinavian Lithuanian communities, and the Lithuanian fairy tale “Sister Elenytė and Joniukas the Lamb” will reach Lithuanian children in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.
The season will culminate with the international puppet theater festival “Kaunas Puppet,” taking place from May 18 to 22, included in the calendar of events for Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of Europe.
Chamber theater: important topics for youth
The Kaunas City Chamber Theatre will start its 51st season on September 18 at the Kaunas Castle amphitheater. Residents and city guests will be able to see for free the play “4 Mortos” by Darius Rabašauskas, based on mythology and Baltic culture.
The play combines folklore, music, and theatrical performance into a contemporary ritual. Music author Laurita Peleniūtė will create a live sound fabric during the play from old Lithuanian songs, sounds, whispers, and breaths.
From September 22 to October 4, the international youth theater festival “Starting Point” will take place. For the 11th time, it will invite discovering emerging faces of the performing arts. This year’s program includes contemporary circus, documentary theater, dance, puppet, and object theater performances, as well as the traditional sketch competition.
The first premiere of the season will take place on October 17–18. It is the play “Whale on the Shore” by Aistė Rekašiūtė, which won last year’s “Starting Point” festival sketch competition, with the play’s author being Uršulė Toleikytė.
The theater director Jurga Knyvienė said that more than a decade ago, the Chamber Theatre consciously turned to a young audience.
According to her, at that time, it was important for the theater not so much to stage classical works but to talk with youth about topics relevant to them.
“We rejected all kinds of Chekhovs, Shakespeares, because we cared about hearing topics – what to talk about with youth,” she said.
This season, the theater will also celebrate its 51st season, and three premieres will be presented at the “Starting Point” festival.
“The festival is probably the most important work we do in the theater,” said J. Knyvienė.
The festival organizers also emphasize its accessibility to a young audience: some events will be free, and tickets for paid events will be affordable for youth. At some events, viewers will be able to choose how much to pay.
“Aura” invites to the contemporary dance festival
The Kaunas Dance Theatre “Aura” welcomes the new season with premieres, tours, and the 36th international dance festival AURA.
From September 6 to 8, the theater’s latest work for children “Micro/Macro” will be presented in Vilnius. The play, created by choreographer Inga Fontez Sakurako, invites young viewers into the mysterious micro-world of nature. It is the first allegorical butoh dance performance for children in Lithuania, combining contemporary dance, physical theater, video projections, and electronic music sounds.
The AURA 36 international dance festival program will begin on September 24. The festival opening will feature the world-renowned choreographer Sharon Eyal’s play “Deferred Sadness.” Later, the Kaunas stages will host the Portuguese duo Beatriz & Tiago, Luxembourg’s Jill Crovisier, choreographer Ieva Navickaitė, and Poland’s “Polish Dance Theatre,” closing the festival with the premiere “All Souls’ Day.”
On October 1, the “Aura” premiere – director Paulius Markevičius’ immersive work “Favela Cabaret,” specially created for the spaces of this historic building – will be presented at the “Daina” cinema.
Theater – not just entertainment
At the joint presentation of the five theaters’ seasons, the idea was repeatedly expressed that theater today must be more than entertainment.
Egidijus Stancikas compared the upcoming season to climbing mountains.
“Like mountaineers ready for a journey, to the mountains of creativity,” he said.
According to the NKDT director, the challenges of this season are ambitious, but it is also important to maintain the theater’s universality and integrity.
“Today, in this hall, there is a director from Kyiv who tells such stories that you realize that art is not just entertainment; art has the responsibility to make the face of the world brighter,” said E. Stancikas.
This season, NKDT also plans to host a choir of schoolchildren from Kharkiv. About 50 children will be invited to Kaunas to be “under a calm, siren-free sky.”
“We live sensitively and wish others to live sensitively with each other,” said E. Stancikas.
The presentation of the five theaters showed different paths that the Kaunas stages will take this season – from fairy tales and the huge “Shrek” dragon to Shakespeare, Camus, Čiurlionis, contemporary dance, and topics relevant to youth. But their common goal remains similar – not only to fill theater halls but also to offer the audience a reason to stay there longer than one evening.
Read more More details emerge about the tragic accident in Abromiškės
