The White Shroud

A two-act play (Age limit: 14+)

Didžioji scena

October 27th & 28th

Director Jonas Jurašas

Composer Linas Rimša

Set designer Gintaras Makarevičius

Costume designer Jolanta Rimkutė

Actors: Dainius Svobonas, Vilija Grigaitytė, Eglė Mikulionytė, Kęstutis Povilaitis, Inga Mikutavičiūtė, Liubomiras Laucevičius, Mindaugas Jankauskas, Egidijus Stancikas, Saulius Čiučelis, Eugenija Bendoriūtė, Henrikas Savickis, Arūnas Stanionis, Sigitas Šidlauskas, Tomas Erbrėderis, Ugnė Žirgulė, Artūras Sužiedėlis.

Duration – 2 hours 50 minutes (with intermission)

This play is a dramatization of the novel The White Shroud by exodus writer Antanas Škėma (1910-1961).

Number 87 takes down the elevator. Up and down. He is wandering through his cracky memories in places of the interwar Kaunas, High Panemunė and Vilnius. The 87th poet, Antanas Garšva, having no opportunity to vow to his creative work and achieve immortality of his soul, is forced to carry out a Sisyphean-like lift operator’s work in the biggest hotel in New York. His fragmented consciousness is haunted by homesickness, and sometimes images of women whom he loved. Garšva rejects love, ruptures human relationships, remains lonely in the cage of an elevator, but he still lives in the desire of hope fruition.

Mr Garšva as a cog in a huge machine is recklessly looking for self-actualization. He discards all his illusions and keeps to himself his poetry. However, creative giddiness and desperate efforts to discover the truth brings suffering.