“When I received this offer, I was filled with a very good feeling. It seems I even manifested it: I really wanted and dreamed that a new role would appear, one I could enjoy and fully immerse myself in. Now my thoughts revolve only around Emilija – I am reading about fighting women, Joan of Arc, Mickiewicz’s ‘Grażyna’, Pliaterytė herself, and I am very eager to get to know and discover her, bringing a lot of myself into the role – because I see a lot of myself in her attitude. I want to master the role, understand it, and when it’s time to step on stage, be completely ready to give the best possible performance,” says the heroine of the upcoming play “Emilija”.
Read more “Items found on the beach”: Search and rescue operation took place in Nida
You can meet the new Emilija on Saturday afternoon at the Kaunas Book Fair, where the ensemble “Lietuva” will invite visitors to the exclusive stand “Let’s awaken the giants” and present the new creative season.
Monika Pundziūtė, previously known by her stage name Monique, is well known to the Lithuanian audience from her victory in the musical project “X Factor” and her subsequent successful career. The musical theater stage is also familiar to the performer – in Laimis Vilkončius’s rock opera “Eglė” she played the main role of the Queen of Serpents, Eglė, and in the musical “Lituanica” she portrayed Steponas Darius’s wife, Jaunutė. In recent years, M. Pundziūtė has turned to more personal authorial work and chamber concerts, so the role of Emilija also marks her return to the big stage.
Every woman can find a warrior within herself
“Speaking about the changes in the main heroine’s role, we want to say that part of that warrior can be in each of us – we are different and in different life situations we can be very determined. This is historically also part of our identity. I understand that viewers watching the project might be surprised to see a different type, but I have no doubt that the new Emilija will surprise with her uniqueness. We are happy to have had the opportunity to create together with Monika Liu, who previously played the role, but when she decided to dive into her own creative plans, we saw the opportunity to reveal more performers. The team is convinced that Monika Pundziūtė has the necessary character and stage strength – it is no coincidence that we call Emilija one of the ‘giants’ of our history, so a strong historical personality on stage requires strength in every sense,” says the project’s creator, ensemble “Lietuva” leader Edita Klaunauskaitė.
Monika also finds certain signs connecting to the new role in her daily life – it turns out she has long used the name Emilija as a kind of pseudonym.
“When I need to write somewhere not necessarily my real name or don’t want to write it, I write EMILIJA. Now it seems like a very sweet coincidence (smiles). And the very first thing that captivated me about Emilija was her disregard for what the environment expects from you, especially regarding women and standards. I understand that nowadays it is easier, but in the 19th century, to stand with a sword and defend your homeland when you are a woman and men want you not to get in their way – that is very charming,” says M. Pundziūtė.
Along with M. Pundziūtė, other famous guest actors and performers will embody historical characters at the “Žalgiris” arena – well-known opera bass Tadas Girininkas, Mantas Zemleckas, Jovita Jankelaitytė, Andrius Kaniava, Žygimantas Galinis, ensemble soloists Ilona Pliavgo, Donatas Kaikaris, and Zenius Sakalauskas. The roles in the play will also be performed by the ensemble “Lietuva” choir and dance troupe, with live music by the orchestra conducted by chief conductor Egidijus Kaveckas and guest musicians.
Read more Foreign Minister: The US and Lithuania share the same view on Russia’s hybrid threats
Premiere praised by stage authorities
The musical drama “Emilija” is an ambitious program of the state ensemble “Lietuva”, whose successful premiere took place in 2024 in the five largest stages of the country. The legend of Pliaterytė attracted arenas full of spectators and inspired with battle scenes reminiscent of boots, majestic music akin to films, and well-known faces appearing in unexpected roles.
“It is impossible not to notice that the ensemble ‘Lietuva’ has been following a completely new, ambitious creative path for some time <…> These performances are like living monuments. They bring to life on stage not only the stories of Lithuania’s most prominent personalities, the warrior Emilija Pliaterytė, and the founder of Lithuanian literature Mažvydas, but also carry out an important mission – reminding all generations of the most important moments in the history of our small country, nurturing and preserving the identity of the Lithuanian nation. Without knowing our nation’s history, we will have no future, so I want to express respect and support to the idealists of the ensemble ‘Lietuva’, who conceived this direction and persistently follow this difficult path, delighting the people of Lithuania with productions that emphasize our country’s past and evoke a sense of pride in our hearts,” said the famous choreographer and director Anželika Cholina.
“Emilija Pliaterytė is a hero of the 19th century, and we talk too little about our heroes. I often wondered why our state developed so rapidly, and I think it was due to prominent personalities, starting with Vytautas the Great and ending with Emilija. Based on history, they took bold steps and overcame everything with faith. But who is our hero today? Will we even have 21st-century heroes, and who will they be?” reflects the play’s director Kęstutis Stasys Jakštas, who directed the collage opera “Mažvydas” with the ensemble “Lietuva”.
Historical events will be conveyed through contemporary stage art solutions – scenography, stylized costumes, emotionally impactful visualizations creating a 3D impression, and choreographic images. The forces were united by four composers – Jievaras Jasinskis, Jonas Jurkūnas, Gintautas Venislovas, and Rytas Svilainis, who created music for the play adapted to live national instruments, strings, and electronics.
Screenplay and libretto author Sandra Bernotaitė, scenography artist Gintaras Makarevičius, costume designer Olga Filatova Kontrimienė, choreographer Aušra Krasauskaitė, director’s assistant Giedrė Kriaučionytė-Vosylienė, video projection artists Lukas Miceika and Vaclovas Nevčesauskas, lighting designer Eugenijus Sabaliauskas, sound director Tomas Ždanavičius.
Emilija Pliaterytė was the first captain and participant of the 1830-1831 Polish and Lithuanian uprising, who resisted the Russian Empire. Other women leaders fighting for equal rights later followed in her footsteps. Therefore, the musical story’s plot is based on real events, while also delving into the inner experiences of a young woman regarding her love for her people, husband, mother, and father. Emilija Pliaterytė, a reserved person living in the shadow of constant parental conflict, longed for freedom from a young age. Emilija was dissatisfied with the position of women in the family and society at that time; she did not want to be just a “home hearth keeper” supported by her husband, learned to shoot and fight with swords, and became an excellent horse rider. Upon learning that an uprising had begun in Poland, Emilija dressed in men’s clothes, cut her hair, and went with other insurgents to overthrow the tsar’s rule. Thus, the legend of Emilija Plater was born.
Read more Donald Trump is preparing to pompously welcome Xi Jinping, but expectations are not high
