ŪBAS CARAS. Rež. Gintaras Varnas

21st century Šepa

Director: Gintaras Varnas

Playwright Sigitas Parulskis

Set designer: Gintaras Makarevičius
Costumes and puppet artist: Julija Skuratova
Make-up artist: Jolanta Gunovič
Director's assistant: Lukas Petrauskas

Starring: Vytautas Anužis, Irmantas Jankaitis, Dalius Skamarakas, Donatas Želvys, Dovydas Stončius, Matas Dirginčius, Giedrė Giedraitytė, Sergejus Ivanovas, Karolis Kasperavičius, Matas Sigliukas, Dovilė Šilkaitytė, Simonas Storpirštis, Aldona Bendoriūtė, Nerijus Gadliauskas, Rokas Siaurusaitis, Kristupas Budrys, Mindaugas Chinchys

The first premiere of the 59th season of the Youth Theater "Úbas Caras" is an original variation of the political "Šepa" theater by the director Gintaras Varna based on the plays about Úbas by the French writer Alfred Jarry. Jarry's most popular play "King Úbas" was written in the 19th century. at the end Úbo's character became the 20th century. harbinger of the era of narcissistic dictators. The chaotic reality of the loser Úbas is an injection of the reality of revolutions and wars caused by dictators, the main characters of which sought not just to change the world, but to consolidate their personal cult. André Breton's interesting and quite accurate insight that Ubas is Z. Freud's "Id" - "THAT" (as opposed to "ego"), some kind of average of the most primitive human part related to primitive instincts - power, authority, wealth, etc. pursuit At the same time, Úbas is a certain common denominator of the primitive that captivates the masses. Or maybe this is exactly what the masses need, because his primitive personality is very close to them? Úbas is also a phenomenon of perfect adaptability - it blends like a chameleon with the environment in which it finds itself and, if necessary, becomes invisible. Don't you look like today's Tsar of Russia? - asks the director of the play G. Varnas.

The play "Úbas Caras" is an attempt by the director and his team of talented creators to return to the genre of political "Šepa" theater revived by G. Varnas during the struggle for independence and to look through it to the reality of today's world.

In 1988 at that time, still a first-year directing student, G. Varnas, together with his fellow students, recreated the traditions of the "Šepa Theater" dating back to 1939, when the Polish student "Szopka Wileńska" was active in Vilnius. The new performances of "Šepa's Theater", which existed for just a few years, became a prominent cultural-political phenomenon in our country. In the performances "Lullabies of the Revolution" and "Communist Nostalgia", the actors each managed several politicians' puppets: the upper shelves of the "Shėpa" (or simply "closet") displayed caricatures of Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Dzerzhinsky, Gorbachev, who fought against Landsberg, Brazauska, Prunskiene, Šepetis , Juozaitis and other figures of resurgent Lithuania. Angelas and Giltinė watched everyone's actions.

Director G. Varnas remembers that the activity of Šepa Theater ended when life changed, the national liberation revolution ended, when such a theater seemed to have lost its meaning. After that, from time to time someone kept saying: "we should revive Šepa". Even professor Irena Veisaitė persuaded to do it several times. But I never wanted to start it again. Until now, when I realized that this kind of theater, a political cabaret, is wartime theater...

Premiere: 2023 December 31.

More about the performance

The play uses profanity.

On the AllEvents portal you can always Buy tickets to an event Theater ŪBAS CARAS. Rež. Gintaras Varnas, Vilnius, Valstybinis jaunimo teatras February 21

* 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.