They call me "Calendorium"

Premiere: February 14, 2025 Based on the novel *They Call Me Kalendorium* by Andris Kalnozols The novel and stage adaptation were translated from Latvian by Laimantas Jonušys Director and Adaptation Author: Elmārs Seņkovs Set Designer: Reinis Suhanovs Set Designer’s Assistant for Costumes: Laura Ruškytė Dramaturg: Loreta Kalniņa Choreographer: Sintija Skrabe Composer: Edgars Mākens Lighting Designer: Niks Cipruss Assistant Director: Marius Pažereckas Stunt assistants: Rokas Tomaševičius, Darius Matevičius Cast: Džiugas Grinys – Oskaras (Kalendorius) Darius Meškauskas – Janina Neimanė Eglė Barauskaitė – Mother Klara Vaidas Jočys – Pastor Arvydas Jonas Baranauskas – Kallė, stagehand, patron of the “Cherry Club” nightclub, town resident, police officer Toma Gailiutė – Ruozė, Zanda the librarian, Kitija the cook, a patron of the “Cherry Club” nightclub, a town resident Renata Idzelytė – Birutė, the drunk cook, town resident, “Cherry Club” nightclub patron Karolis Maiskis – Vera the cook, a patron of the “Cherry Club” nightclub, stagehand, janitor, ditch digger Samanta Pinaitytė – a pretty girl, a soup-eater Simona Šakinytė – Maiga, a patron of the “Cherry Club” nightclub, a town resident, a woman on the street Mikalojus Urbonas – Leo (Lenin), a soup-eater, a town resident, a patron of the “Cherry Club” nightclub Justina Vanžodytė – Vikija, a soup-eater, a town resident Alius Veverskis – Uvis, soup eater, “Cherry Club” nightclub patron, police officer, janitor Jonas Viršilas / Edvardas Brazys – Otto, soup eater, town resident Marius Pažereckas – janitor, soup eater, town resident Antanas Razgauskis – janitor, patron of the “Cherry Club” nightclub, security guard, grave digger Linas Rubinas – lighting technician Aleksandras Burovas – stage mechanics operator We would like to thank the children’s choir of Klaipėda Vydūnas Gymnasium (artistic director Arvydas Girdzijauskas) for contributing to the musical arrangement of the play “They Call Me Kalendorium.” Until now, Oskaras had lived a reclusive life with his mother, Klara, in a small town in Latvia. He has memorized the dates of all the name days, which is why the locals have nicknamed him Kalendorium. It’s very important for Oskaras to walk a lot and avoid stress, otherwise he might end up back in the clinic. Once a week, he stops by to talk with the local priest, Arvydas. Gradually, his daily life begins to change when the priest suggests he choose the most important word of the week and write about it every day. The plot of the play *They Call Me Kalendorium* unfolds through entries in Oskaras’s diary, which not only reveal his vivid and unique perspective on the world but also feature moving and humorous plot twists. Oskaras becomes a key figure in a small town and in the lives of other lonely outcasts. The play is based on the cult novel *They Call Me Kalendorium* by writer, actor, and director Andris Kalnozols, which won the 2021 Latvian Literary Award in the “Most Promising Debut” category. It is one of the most unique and memorable works of recent Latvian literature, having garnered widespread acclaim among readers. The Lithuanian translation was published in 2022 (translated by Laimantas Jonušys, published by “Odilė”). “This young, strong, yet ‘sensitive’ man cares about things that, on the surface, shouldn’t matter—such as what is real and what is true. ‘The dates are real, and people’s names are true. That’s why I can be at peace. Everything else is a question mark” (p. 183). Of course, there’s more that’s a question mark. After all, every person is a question mark. Who would have thought that old Janina, who drinks and plants the entire garden with cucumbers, does so in memory of her beloved, because the cucumbers came from a single seed found in his pocket. A wonderful charitable soup made from those cucumbers, Oskaras’s idea: after all, every hungry person has a right to a bowl of hot soup. There has to be some kind of system to protect the hungry. Even if it means letting the dog off the chain once in a while. There must be some solution for the elderly and the lonely. “If you’re old and lonely, give us a call, and we’ll figure something out,”—that’s the message Oskaras writes in an ad for those between the ages of 70 and 100. And he finds people who respond. There must be actions that revive the spirit, allowing us to feel a sense of community. What is humanity in the difficult daily lives of people, if not connections, speaking up, and being heard—if not a bowl of charity soup, if that’s what’s needed? But there’s something more. Why not theater, created from those very words that are somehow important?” Viktorija Daujotytė, “About a Novel I Liked” (“Šiaurės Atėnai,” June 17, 2022) Performance in Lithuanian with English and Latvian surtitles. The surtitles are most clearly visible from the fifth row of the parterre onward. Smoking is permitted during the performance.