EVERYTHING YOU DON'T HAVE || Dir. R. Kazlas

"A word. A pause – and that's all. I have nothing more, That I could express in words. Only sky and sky, and both shine with silver In ashen hair." Poet Valdemaras Kukulas 1959–2011 "When the iron of pain cools, Open your eyes to the color of sky and earth - Like an angel moving away from yourself, You will see the golden head of the age." Poet Algirdas Verba, Friend of Valdemaras Kukulas 1941–2000 Author and director of the staging of "Everything You Don't Have", Rolandas Kazlas: "One of the books by poet and literary critic Valdemaras Kukulas, in which he reviews and reflects on Lithuanian poetry and literature, is titled 'The End of the Era of Magnanimous Words'. When you delve into Valdemaras Kukulas's own poetry, his stance in his creative work, the poet himself appears as if he were the guardian, the bard of that era of magnanimous words. The preserver, nurturer, and creator of those words, like a descendant of some vanished, noble civilization, a hero from the times when giants still lived, who wandered into this age, sang, versified, celebrated, and mourned it, us and our future selves, this land and this world, this earth and this sky, and then departed back to that Magnanimity which he so lacked, which he sought with such devotion in this life, in his creative work, in this increasingly soulless time." The play "Everything You Don't Have" is, of course, primarily intended for fans of the poet Valdemaras Kukulas and, at the same time, for all lovers of Lithuanian poetry, because this poet, who remained faithful to poetry until the very end, is one of the most interesting, having dedicated his entire self to creation... Reading his poems, you distinctly feel the painful, grief-laden voice of a lonely poet and human being, encompassing all human colors. In the poet's own words: "Your solitude and your fullness: Having lost everything – full of everything." The poet's poems are essentially the main hero and text of the play. I tried to listen, to empathize with them: what states, what moods can be felt, discovered in them. Ultimately, it was interesting to try to use theatrical means to give the verses such colors and shadows that one might not suspect just by reading the written words. I am glad to have the opportunity to touch upon the work of this extraordinary poet. I sincerely thank Valdemaras Kukulas's wife, Deimantė, for her help and trust. I am grateful to the Vilnius "Lėlė" Theatre and its team for the opportunity to create there again after a longer break. In 2009, I created my first poetry play "Iron and Silver" in this theatre, based on the poems of Vladas Šimkus. Incidentally, the play is still alive, being performed, and continues to attract a beautiful and numerous audience. An interesting coincidence – Vladas Šimkus and Valdemaras Kukulas were good friends and even neighbors. So I hope that their friendship and neighborliness will continue in the repertoire of this theatre as well.

Adresas: Vilniaus teatras „Lėlė“