On the stage of the Keistuolių theatre is a new work that looks back on a young personality that is only starting to enter the adult life which is often forgotten in theatres. Keistuolių theatre actors together with the youngest generation of theatre actors are on stage exploring the intricate story of two young brothers who open an unexpected and awkward view of the world in which we grow and mature to the audience.

The provocative, awkward and world-acclaimed Irish playwright Martin McDonagh became familiar to the audience of Keistuolių theatre back in 2007 with Aidas Giniotis' performance "The Cripple of Inishmaan".  Now McDonagh returns to this stage in the form of the two-part crime story "The Pillowman" which is directed by Ieva Stundžytė.  The performance opens with an interrogation process that paints a grotesque and contradictory story of the brothers Katurjan (Matas Pranskevičius) and Michal (Džiugas Širvys/Danas Kamarauskas).  The works of the writer Katurjan - nightmarish short stories full of brutal imagination and masterful puzzles - turn out to have unlimited freedom and impact; they are powerful tools capable of revenge and death.

"The Pillowman" directed by Ieva Stundzytė, at first glance, is not a typical performance of the Keistuolių Theater. "The Pillowman" is filled with the cruelty experienced by those born under an unfortunate star - the inevitable themes of childhood trauma, loss of loved ones, growing up too fast. However, this is only the first layer, after which completely opposite perceptions appear - lightness, purification. The actor Matas Pranskevičius, who plays the role of Katurjan, says: "I manage to be born and die in the performance. And then you see that somehow everything ends well. No matter what happens in the world, somehow everything ends well. And the performance brings that strange joy."

The music of the performance is written by members of WhaleSounds, a band experimenting with atmospheric sounds, and their leader Gabrielius Zapalskis, who has composed music for theatre and film projects.  Performance choreographer - dance teacher and creator Eglė Kančauskaitė, who actively creates with the youngest generation of Keistuolių theatre. Laura Luišaitytė, who has been creating for many years in many Lithuanian theatres, takes care of the set design and costumes, while Darius Malinauskas, the artist of Keistuolių theatre, holds the play of light and shadow firmly in his hands.

Director - Ieva Stundžytė

Set designer and costume designer - Laura Luišaitytė

Choreographer - Eglė Kančauskaitė

Music - Gabrielius Zapalskis

Light artist - Darius Malinauskas

Starring: Aistė Šeštokaitė, Giedrius Kiela, Jurgis Marčėnas, Lukas Auksoraitis, Matas Pranskevičius, Ignas Antanas Giniotis

Awards:

In 2020, at the Lithuanian Professional Theater Festival "Vaidiname žemdirbiams“ FOR THE BEST MALE ACTOR OF THE FESTIVAL - MATAS PRANSKEVIČIUS for the role of Katurjan.

Duration - 3 hours 00 minutes (with an intermission)

Premiere - 21 November 2019

N–16

THE PROJECT IS FINANCED BY THE LITHUANIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURE