One of the great ancient Greek tragedians Sophocles wrote about 120 works, of which only seven have survived. Among them are “Oedipus Rex,” “Antigone,” and the relatively rarely staged “Philoctetes.”
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Director C. Graužinis has been living and working in Greece for more than 15 years. Here he has implemented several successful theatrical projects, mostly based on ancient plays. The premieres of five of C. Graužinis’s performances took place in the largest open-air theater in Epidaurus.
Cezaris Graužinis returns to Lithuanian theater with this production of “Philoctetes” – specifically to the State Youth Theatre, where he debuted in 1989 with his first play “Hunger” (based on Knut Hamsun) and began his creative path. He returns not only as a director but also as an actor.
During the creative process, in addition to the artistic concept and the cast, director C. Graužinis also plays the role of the soldier Philoctetes, left on an uninhabited island by his comrades, in the performance.
“Betrayed and forgotten, he becomes necessary again because the Greeks cannot win the Trojan War without him. Philoctetes was betrayed by his friend Odysseus. Now, with the help of the young soldier Neoptolemus, they seek to deceive Philoctetes into fulfilling his duty to the homeland. Sophocles created a play about a man who, rejected and left to suffer by all, refuses the duty and honor of becoming a hero because of his beliefs about honor, conscience, and morality. Philoctetes’ freedom is his incurable wound and human dignity, which he values more than glory,” says C. Graužinis.
C. Graužinis’s productions stand out in Lithuania and abroad for their originality, ingenuity, playfulness, and acting impact. His theater is often called “the theater of imagination” by critics, characterized by great attention to the energy exchange between the stage and the audience, and a certain minimalism in stage expression means. “A good performance is one in which you see more than you saw with your eyes,” says the director.
The plastic and audiovisual fabric of the performance is created by a solid team of artists working in many foreign countries: set designer Vytautas Narbutas, composer Martynas Bialobžeskis, choreographer Edgen Lame (Albania/Greece), lighting designer Alekos Yannaros (Greece).
The audience will see an unexpected, bright, and talented ensemble of actors in the performance: Gediminas Storpirštis, Viktorija Kuodytė, Rūta Jonikaitė, Gintautė Rusteikaitė, Lukas Petrauskas, and Cezaris Graužinis. And one of the most important roles in Sophocles’ play, Neoptolemus, is played by actor Žygimantas Vainauskas, making his debut on the Youth Theatre stage, who is completing his bachelor’s studies in acting at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre this year.
The colorful creative team of the performance undoubtedly awaits an interesting rehearsal phase full of challenges and discoveries, and all of us, especially the most loyal theater spectators, await many creative surprises in the new theater season.
* Information regarding ticket exchange and refund
June 18 tickets will be valid September 19 at 18:30
June 19 tickets will be valid September 20 at 16:00
No additional actions are required – your existing tickets will be valid for the same seats on the new dates.
If the new performance dates do not suit you, tickets can be refunded and the paid money returned. For this, the theater asks to fill out the ticket refund form.
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Tickets can be refunded until June 30 inclusive.
