"Masquerade"

Vilnius State Small Theater Mikhail Lermontov “MASQUERADE” A two-act play Director – Rimas Tuminas Set Designer – Adomas Jacovskis Costume Designer – Virginija Idzelytė Composer – Faustas Latėnas The play features music by Aram Khachaturian Cast: ARBENIN – Arvydas Dapšys NINA – Indrė Patkauskaitė THE PRINCE – Vytautas Rumšas (Jr.) THE BARONESS – Agnė Šataitė ŠPRICHAS – Tomas Stirna KAZARINAS – Mindaugas Capas SERVANT – Edmundas Mikulskis STRANGER – Almantas Šinkūnas HOSTESS – Larisa Kalpokaitė MAID – Rasa Jakučionytė BEAR – Tomas Rinkūnas GAMBLERS: Jonas Braškys, Tomas Kliukas, Balys Latėnas, Tomas Rinkūnas, Almantas Šinkūnas LADIES: Vilija Ramanauskaitė, Jūratė Brogaitė, Rasa Jakučionytė, Neringa Būtytė, Larisa Kalpokaitė, Greta Bendžė Rimas Tuminas’s “Masquerade” has been on stage for nearly thirty years, enjoying the undiminished love of audiences. Drawing on the work of Mikhail Lermontov, a genius of the Romantic era whose spirit resonates deeply with his own, the director has succeeded in capturing the present day—a world steeped in phantasmagoria. Although all of Tuminas’s productions put the audience in a festive mood, allowing them to experience a joy of celebration that is almost childlike in its purity, “Masquerade” arguably surpasses them all: in it, the thoughtful viewer, the seeker of beauty, and the one longing for humor will all find something for themselves. The production draws the audience into a love story centered around a lost bracelet, featuring a diverse cast of characters: gamblers, ladies, a baroness, a duke, servants, and those you can’t even quite name—the people who surround us every day, who are both the mediators and the enemies of pure love. In this visually stunning production, filled with the intoxicating and wistful sounds of the waltz by the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian and the snow falling slowly in the empty black space of the stage, the cultural experience of a bygone era is nostalgically reflected, evoking memories of the theater of B. Brecht and G. Strehler, Broadway-style revelry, or the films of F. Fellini. Rimas Tuminas’s *Masquerade* features a vivid and distinctive sense of the director’s romanticism, linked not only to 19th-century culture but also to a folkloric worldview and the genre of commedia dell’arte. Elements of the latter genre prevent this enchanting spectacle from becoming merely a sentimental melodrama; in the director’s hands, it transforms into an eccentric tragicomedy. The production, which has become part of Lithuanian theater’s “golden fund,” has toured many countries around the world—from Sweden to Italy, from South Korea to Mexico—and has won numerous prestigious awards. Following *Masquerade*’s 1999 tour of the United Kingdom, *The Guardian* named the Vilnius-based troupe one of the best in the world. To purchase 10 or more tickets, please contact: [email protected] Discounts: (enter the code before selecting seats): – 15% for schoolchildren and students (present proof of eligibility at the time of ticket inspection) – 30% for seniors (enter SENIOR in the discount field) (Please present proof of eligibility at the time of inspection) – 30% for people with disabilities (enter NUOLAIDA30 in the discount field) (Please present proof of eligibility at the time of inspection) – 25% Friends Ticket (3+1) (enter “FRIENDS” in the discount field) – 15% off when purchasing 10 or more tickets Additional information: Tobacco products are used on stage during the performance. Doors open: 1 hour before the event Event duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (one intermission) Preschool-aged children are not admitted to the performance. Children are not admitted free of charge For more information, call +370 650 60699 or email [email protected]