Keistuoliai

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At the Keistuoliai Theatre – the true Lithuanian home of commedia dell’arte – another play by the brilliant Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi is reborn, drawing you into a theatrical celebration filled with magic, metaphors, symbols, music, and sharp irony.

Born in 16th-century Italy, commedia dell’arte soon captivated almost all of Europe, and its influence stretched for centuries to come. The secret to its enduring popularity and audience favor lay in the masks – characters, each of which was easily recognizable both in the smallest village and the most luxurious metropolis. The same characters would spin in ever-new whirlwinds of passion and local current events, creating a combination of music, dance, and wit that kept audiences spellbound.

The impressive commedia dell’arte did not bypass Lithuania – though it arrived a few centuries late. A master of the genre and, we can truthfully say, Carlo Gozzi’s representative on Lithuanian soil – director Aidas Giniotis – will introduce our country’s audience to his fifth commedia dell’arte play!

C. Gozzi’s “The Turquoise Monster,” in the best traditions of the genre, is a bright, sensual, magical, and hopeful tragicomedy that plunges into a whirlwind of love and revenge, treachery and miracles, vibrantly spun by improvising actors. The story, unfolding in the mystical city of Nanking, could take place anywhere and yet nowhere else in the world; the events befalling the characters are universally recognizable and true to life, yet at the same time so elemental and magical that boredom will find no place in the audience.

“The Turquoise Monster” and its masked characters invite you to an especially important act these days – to perceive what lies deep within. This is an allegorical story about authenticity and the masks of everyday life that imprison our true selves, an invitation not to succumb to the charms of physical bodies and shiny covers, but rather to see what is revealed when you close your eyes and open your heart.

Director – Aidas Giniotis.

Scenographer and costume designer – Ramunė Skrebūnaitė.

Duration – 3 hours (with an intermission)

Premiere 2024-05-10