Agnius Jankevičius "REFORMA" (Reform)

Agnius Jankevičius. "Reforma" (Reform) One-act drama Running time: 2 hours Premiere: 6 and 8 September 2024 Creative team: Director and set designer: Agnius Jankevičius Video artist: Arvydas Gudas Lighting designer: Deividas Janavicus Music selection: Agnius Jankevičius Assistant director: Eglė Kuzienė Cast: Laimė – Edita Gončarova Vakarė – Božena Aleksandrovič / Jelena Ragimova Viltis – Aleksandra Metalnikova /// Agnius Jankevičius's musical play "Reforma" — a dark satire based on the director's own play of the same name — focuses on the processes taking place in Europe, of which Lithuania is an inseparable part. Migration as a phenomenon is a problem, but an even more pressing and growing concern is the spreading global syndrome of disposability. Redundancy, both in a social and existential sense, is destructive and offers no solutions for changing one's circumstances. It breeds ever-greater destruction, absurdity, and even violence. The time of emptying homesteads has come to Lithuania's provinces, and this is no metaphor. The small town of Skakiškis has not been spared. Once renowned for its bright grammar school graduates, and its cheese and butter factory, the town now vegetates — yet its residents have not lost hope. Among them remain creative, innovative, visionary people who refuse to let the town become a ghost village. Who are they? Three schoolteachers from Skakiškis, who devise a plan to turn the town into a new Promised Land. "Reforma" tackles the ambiguous refugee issue, disposable people who live among us, in sharp, satirical form and language. Essentially, all the main characters have been written off. Bad actions breed bad actions. Absurd deeds breed absurd deeds — and paradoxically, all of this is done simply to survive. The themes touch on the global changes taking place in Europe as well as aspects of human worth, dignity, altruism, and pragmatism. The creators draw aesthetic inspiration from the animated series South Park and Roy Andersson's Life Trilogy. Agnius Jankevičius (b. 1979) is a theatre director, actor, and teacher — one of the leading figures of the middle generation of Lithuanian theatre directors. Over more than 20 years he has directed productions at many professional theatres in Lithuania and created roles in theatre and film. 27 February performance is in Lithuanian with Russian surtitles. 5 March performance is in Lithuanian. Photo by Arvydas Gudas

Adresas: Vilniaus senasis teatras