Vilnius University (VU) Drama Theatre, continuing its long-standing creative tradition, invites viewers to the performance "The Promised One" on January 31, February 1, 14 and 15 at 18.30:XNUMX p.m. This work is a unique interpretation of William Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", inviting a new look at the influence of family feuds, the importance of personal responsibility and the subtleties of human relationships. The director of the performance is Felicija Feiferė, and the performances of the performance are organized by the VU Culture Centre.
"The Promised One" is a profound reading of W. Shakespeare's play, in which Juliet embodies the Promise - the hope that eternal discord can be ended, but at the same time the sad unfulfillment due to entrenched mistakes of the past. Against the backdrop of the classic play, the themes of parent-child relationships, the complexity of love, ignoring the signs of fate, and responsibility for one's actions are analyzed in a modern way.
The premiere of the play, which took place in December last year, was a success. The audience appreciated the original directorial decision, the spatial depth-creating visualizations, the laconic, subtle scenography, the impressive choreography, the emotionally deep scenes, and the relevance of the classical theme in today's context.
"The thread of past sin connects and entwines the life story of two families. Without noticing the prophetic signs of fate, one falls deeper and deeper into a tragic ending. "Romeo and Juliet" is not only an interesting work because of the plot. It is also intriguing because of the secret code hidden in it," says the director of the play, F. Feiferė.
She emphasizes that the process of creating the play was incredibly complex, as if the author himself was taking revenge for his independent emphasis on meaning.
"The actors, as they themselves admitted, were not prepared for such a load - the time and labor costs. Such a work experience revealed the price of implementing a classical work on stage, and greatly grew everyone as personalities. Understanding and implementing are not the same. We have a long journey ahead of us until the performance fully matures in quality. Every time the performance is shown, it will change and we are ready for that," says the director of the performance, F. Feiferė, about the continuous creative process.
Gintė Jokubaitienė, head of the VU Culture Centre, which is organising the performance, emphasises the importance of the performance not only for the theatre, but also for society: “This timeless work has been in the works for almost two years, and it was a long, complex process that required not only the dedication of a large creative team, but also special acting preparation. Creating performances based on classical dramaturgy is an extraordinary challenge, because these works have their own history and traditions, but also require a modern approach that would be able to revive them and give them new life. Vilnius University students, acting like true professionals, are sending a message with this performance that a theatre is being reborn in Vilnius, which is worthy of the attention and appreciation of a wider audience.”
The performance is distinguished not only by its exceptional interpretation of a classical work, but also by its creative collaboration with exceptional professionals. The laconic scenography created by the long-time scenographer of the Meno fortas theatre, Nadežda Gultiajeva, and the careful costume design give the performance “The Promised One” a subtle aesthetic touch. The classical tragedy is filled with modernity and distanced from everyday realism by the spatial video projections created especially for this performance by the video projection artist Linartas Urniežius, which dictate the changing atmosphere of the action scene. The complex emotions experienced by the characters and the dramatic contexts are expressed in a special way by the dance-fight interludes created by choreographers Agnė Rickevičienė and trainer Vilenas Artiuniano Moreno.
The VU Drama Theatre, operating since the 1570s, is an important part of VU and Lithuanian culture. The theatre team, led by director F. Feiferė, once again proves that classical theatre, diversified by modern interpretation, can be inspiring, lively and relevant. The performance "The Promised One" is an opportunity to rediscover W. Shakespeare's work and immerse yourself in a deep dialogue with the essential values of humanity.
Performances of the play "The Promised One" will take place on January 31, February 1, 14 and 15 at 18.30:3 p.m. at the VU Theatre Hall (Universiteto g. XNUMX, Vilnius).
