Premiere announcement: “Open the Door”

• The premiere will take place at the National Kaunas Drama Theatre on 13, 14, and 15 September, with additional performances scheduled for October and November.

We are thrilled to announce the premiere of the performance “Open the Door,” produced by the National Kaunas Drama Theatre (Lithuania) in collaboration with Les Récréâtrales (Burkina Faso) as part of the DECONFINING project.

“Open the Door” is created by the emerging talent Justinas Vinciūnas and  an international team of artists. This performance is based on Aristide Tarnagda’s play Silmiga. Tarnagda, a playwright from Burkina Faso, tells the poignant story of a family raising a foreign boy alongside their son. The country is in turmoil, the village is attacked by terrorists, and the boy has become a stranger in the eyes of the locals – a threat to the village community. The locals declare the boy an enemy and demand that the family betray him, or the terrorists will massacre the entire village. When creating this play, the playwright aimed for universality and reflected on what connects us, which is why he chose the  Greek tragedy format. It is a unique version of the myth of Antigone. Aristide Tarnagda’s play does not shy away from political issues. It reflects the current rampage of terrorism in African countries as well as the war and post-war context in Lithuania.

 The director and his creative team emphasise not so much the political conflict, but rather the family drama through the protagonist’s experiences, his struggle between nihilism and idealism, and the notion of atonement. Is it possible to forgive oneself after taking another person’s life? This performance invites the audience not only to witness the teamwork between the most distant and culturally different countries, but also to observe the universal spiritual struggle of an individual.

• Duration: 1 hour 10 min (without intermission)

For a deeper understanding of the vision behind this performance, be sure to read our interview with  director Justinas Vinciūnas, where he shares insights into the creative process and inspiration behind “Open the Door.”

→ Read the interview

The Crew

• Justinas Vinciūnas: Director
• Povilas Barzdžius: Souley
• Eglė Mikulionytė: Mother
• Robertas Petraitis: Wendyam
• Kęstutis Povilaitis: Uncle
• Sigitas Šidlauskas: Father
• Set Designer: Boubacar Souley Salifou
• Costume Designer and Co-author of Set Design: Patricija Vytytė
• Composer: Mantas Mockus
• Translator: Vytas Kraujelis
• Lighting Artist: Vladimiras Šerstabojevas