PREMJERA | Spektaklis šeimai „Indėnų vadas“

Family play "Indian Chief" based on O. Henry's short story "Indian Chief's Ransom"

O. Henry is the pseudonym of the American writer William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), one of the most famous masters of short stories in world literature. His prose is recognizable for its lively humor, precise rhythm and famous "unexpected" endings, which have become the author's calling card.

The comedy "Indian Chief" (original title - "The Ransom of Red Chief") was written and first published in 1907 and quickly became one of the author's most popular works. The short story is based on a simple plot, but it is through this simplicity that O. Henry succeeds in revealing the characters' characters and bringing the situation to the point of absurdity, where laughter is intertwined with accurate insights into human nature. The story tells about two petty adventurers who decided to make some easy money and kidnapped a boy for ransom. Their calculations turn out to be wrong: the child does not see the events as a tragedy or danger at all. All that has happened to him is an addictive game in which he gambles even the predators themselves. It slowly turns into a fun contest of imagination where the adults lose control and the carefully thought out plan falls apart before their eyes. The roles change: it is no longer a boy, but adults become hostages of a situation they have created. The story may seem quite similar to the continuation of the story of the cult classic film "Home Alone" by Chris Columbus.

Despite the form of a comedy, the work raises the themes of responsibility, family and the boundary between the calculating world of adults and the freedom of children. Fantasy and sincerity win in this clash, as a reminder that it is they who can disarm cynicism and greed. The combination of lightness and internal accuracy made this short story highly sought after in the theater: based on it, stage versions, adaptations for families and performances for youth theaters were created in different countries for decades.

The audience of the Žemaitė drama theater of the Telšiai district municipality is presented with a play intended for different generations: children will be drawn in by action and play, and adults by irony and recognizable life situations. It is a construction that unites for a common experience and reminds about simple but extremely important things.

Director, author of the staging - Badri Tserediani

Set designer - Viktorija Juzefa Venckutė

Composer - Eligijus Žilinskas

The author of the costumes is Jolanta Kačinskienė

The author of the video projections is Paulius Gadeikis

The boy is Matas Gusarov

Sammy - Roland Norman

Bill - Jogaila Šimkus

Grandmother - Julija Kneitiene

Father - Donatas Žilinskas

Duration: 60 min. Ticket price: 10, 12 Eur.

A one-act play. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

You can buy tickets at the box office of the Telšiai Cultural Center and at ticketmarket.lt

The premiere is in 2026. February 1 and 8 3:00 p.m. In the cultural center of Telšiai

The performance is the result of a project financed by the Lithuanian Culture Council and Telšiai District Municipality.

On the AllEvents portal you can always Buy tickets to an event Theater PREMJERA | Spektaklis šeimai „Indėnų vadas“, Telšiai, Telšių kultūros centras February 08

* The description translation is done automatically. There may be inaccuracies. Be sure to check the event description on the ticket store website when buying tickets.