Florian Zeller „TĖTIS“ (Rež. Jonas Vaitkus)

The play was translated into Russian by Ilja Imenitovas

"Daddy" is a play directed by Jonas Vaitkaus based on the French novelist, playwright Florian Zeller's play "The Father" (French: "Le Père"), which is the second part of the stage trilogy ("Mother", "Father", "Son"). in 2012 the written play won three Mollière awards and was nominated for the prestigious UK Theater Awards, Evening Standard Theater Awards.

F. Zeller's play is a testimony of the deformation of consciousness, its decay, the gradual loss of memory, and at the same time the loss of family, loved ones, and the connection with the outside world. Father Andrė (Vytautas Anužis), the main hero of the play, is 88 years old, he is quite mature for his age, but shows signs of an Alzheimer's-like disease. The disease progresses, it is inevitable. Everyday life, details, perception of space are gradually withdrawn from Andre's life, he turns into a plant, a "vegetable". Reality intertwines with images emerging from the subconscious. Old age, diseased consciousness and clear mind are fighting each other. From here comes a conflict with reality, relatives, and in general with human existence and nature.

Andre increasingly remembers her dead daughter, the artist Eliza (Jelena Orlova), who is alive in her father's consciousness, who has gone somewhere... Eliza's character is associated with freedom, independence, and permeates all scenes. Hope is focused through the bright memory of the daughter, the thesis that art is more effective, more important than the household, necessary in order to control our instincts, the inner predator, the feeder. In the performance, the question is also important: what does a person pay attention to in the course of life, what priorities do they choose, how do they give meaning to their life and exit from it?

Director Jonas Vaitkus: "Without each in the genes (nerve cells in the emotional memory field) of a person born with exception, there is an atavistic imprint of anthropophagy (humanitarianism), a scratch, an imprint... That obstacle, test, a person has to overcome sooner or later, one way or another. This is the most important and responsible moment on the way to becoming a person. Is the abundance and variety of such encounters intoxicating and terrifying? We, under the influence of some forces, consciously or due to ignorance to be dazzled by the achievements of science and the possibilities of freedom, do not appreciate that slumbering indigo of man, the danger it poses. Hence the importance of culture and art, which are the antidote. This theme, albeit fragmentarily, is brought up to date in the play "Father."

The play also makes clear allusions to the meaning of memory in the broadest sense. Cultural, historical, personal memories... What do we tend to forget? What are uncomfortable, painful, traumatic experiences?.. Most likely. However, memory unconsciously, like a lifeline, grabs bright things - to survive.

Jonas Vaitkus (b. 1944) - theater and film director, theater pedagogue, Laureate of the Lithuanian National Prize and many other prizes. J. Vaitkus has created close to a hundred drama performances, operas in Lithuania and abroad, and has directed movies. The aesthetics of J. Vaitkaus's theater is always recognisable, the direction is distinguished by its strict structure, open theatricality, expression, poetics, variety of genre and stylistic tools, human nature, political and social accents are prominent in his performances.

Florian Zeller (b. 1979) is a French novelist and playwright, one of the most talented authors of his generation, his novels ("Artificial Snow", "Lovers or something similar", "Infatuation with Evil") have been translated into dozens languages. At the time of the premiere of the play "Father", the French actor Robert Hirsch, for whom F. Zeller wrote this role, was 88 years old, just like the main character of the play, Andre. In 2015, it was filmed by director Philippe Le Guay (film "Florida"). F. Zeller's plays feature the most outstanding actors: Isabelle Huppert, Daniel Auteuil, Robert Hirsch, Fabrice Luchini, Pierre Arditi and others. in 2020 F. Zeller also directed a film based on his play "The Father", in which Anthony Hopkins, who played the main role, won an Oscar.

On the AllEvents portal you can always Buy tickets to an event Theater Florian Zeller „TĖTIS“ (Rež. Jonas Vaitkus), Vilnius, Vilniaus Senasis Teatras October 23

* 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.