Have you ever seen a play for sofas? Probably not - you're not a sofa! And have you ever seen a play in a furniture store? If the answer to this question is also no, on December 15 you cannot miss Marija Baranauskaitė's performance "The Sofa Project". In the "Magrės Baldai" showroom, located in "Ogmias mieste" in Vilnius, one of the few creators of the Lithuanian contemporary circus will present her unique work, intended for sofas, but perfectly balanced for a human audience as well.
The unconventional location of the performance was dictated by the theme of the performance - since the "Sofa project" was not created for people, but for sofas, Marija decided to come to her audience, who had difficulty traveling, by herself. This idea was enthusiastically supported by the project partner - furniture salon "Magrės baldai", where a whole bunch of sofas will be waiting for the creator. A contemporary circus show that meets modern dance, clowning, performance art and other disciplines, suitable for human and non-human, existing and non-existent audiences. Marija, who is constantly moving forward, inspired by the worldwide performances for animals or plants, decided to take on a bigger challenge and dedicate her performance to furniture. Using movement and humor, M. Baranauskaitė investigates the relationship between people and sofas, and considers what we can learn about ourselves and others in these relationships. "Couch Project" is a way to experience circus in a different way than usual and to look at the performing arts in a new way, without pretending to be serious.
Maria's exceptional performance has already attracted attention both in our country and abroad. The performance sketch was presented in France, Germany, Estonia, in Latvia, in the Czech Republic and, of course, in Lithuania: last year - at the "New Circus Weekend", "Startas" and "Circulation" festivals, and this year - at the "Plartforma", "Contempo" and "Open house Vilnius" festivals. M. Baranauskaitė, who has been working professionally as a performer, creator and host of creative classes since 2013, is constantly improving her skills by training with the strongest performing arts masters. After graduating from LMTA as a dancer-actress, Marija went to France to study at the international Philippe Gaulier clowning school, so the "Sofa project" is the result of versatile performing arts experience, taking confident steps in the gradually growing field of contemporary Lithuanian circus.
