The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) is an internationally recognised higher education institution which trains artists for a professional career in music, theatre, dance and film and offers related theoretical studies. Founded in 1933, the Academy currently hosts about 1,000 students in three study cycles in its three faculties, two of which are based in Vilnius, one in Klaipėda. Every year the Academy hosts around 500 artistic events, the great majority of which are public and free of charge.
In 2019 performances created by the students of LMTA were shown at the international theatre festival “Sirenos” held in Vilnius, Lithuania. “All That Is Earthly Bespeaks Of Death” was part of the festival programme, performance created by 3rd year BA Acting and Directing students.
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All That Is Earthly Bespeaks of Death
“I didn’t cover up my ears. Everyone covered theirs up and I alone didn’t cover mine and therefore I alone heard everything. Similarly, I didn’t blindfold myself with a rag, as everyone else did, and therefore I saw everything. Yes, I alone saw and heard everything. But unfortunately, I didn’t understand anything and, therefore, what was the value of me alone seeing and hearing everything?” – Daniil Charms
The play tells the story of a writer trying to survive in the preposterous and absurd reality. The protagonist fights against the nonsense of life with the only available weapon – his imagination. Imagination turns the performance’s engine on. Logic and rationality dissolve in the theatricality of the play. Violence and cruelty prevail in the background of the performance. However, all characters openly play on stage, because if they did not play, they would die. And for the viewer, the efforts of the characters turn into scary and funny scenes, something reminiscent of their very being.
“The young director Augtumas Danielius Harner was able to master precisely the directorial style of the young Oskaras Koršunovas [head of the 3rd year class of acting and directing in the LMTA], the aesthetic of “silent cinema”, which his teacher used in his early plays by the works of the Russian OBERIU movement authors [Daniil Charms, Aleksandr Vvedensky]. The impulsive rhythm of action, cunning acoustic accents, dynamic mise-en-scènes, macabre manners, pantomime, clowning, object equilibria, witty grimace, grotesque mimics, angled black jackets. Director Harner and his actors seem to have seen it all before and have understood it very well.” – Theatre critic Jurijus Lozoraitis (original text “Proceso dalyvio samprotavimai (II)” in art magazine “Literatūra ir menas”).
Actors Jonas Golubovskis, Džiugas Grinys, Karolis Norvilas, Aurelijus Pocius and director Augtumas Danielius Harner are third-year BA acting and directing students (head of the class – Oskaras Koršunovas). It all started two years ago with the assignment of course leader Oskaras Koršunovas to produce sketches based on short stories by Daniil Charms. His book “Incidences” gave a great deal of theatrical freedom and space for thought. In Charms’ stories, we discovered an interesting philosophy close to our own that asked for interpretation. And we did not want to let go that experience. That is why the play “All That Is Earthly Bespeaks Of Death” was born. While preparing for the premiere in the international theatre festival “Sirenos” light designer Valdas Latonas joined the creative team. For the ENCOUNTER composer Liepa Užusenytė joins the team to write original music for this ever-changing play.
Author: Daniil Charms
Translation: Sigitas Parulskis
Director: Augtumas Danielius Harner
Light Design: Valdas Latonas
Production: Vaiva Martišauskaitė
Photo: Dainius Putinas
Cast:
Blinov – Aurelijus Pocius
Bobov – Karolis Norvilas
Pakin – Džiugas Grinys
Rakukin – Jonas Golubovskis
