Events

Matei Vișniec
Satire "There Are Too Many of Us on This Damn Ship"
Director Marta Vendland | ARTYN Theater, Klaipėda

"I believe in God, I have four children to feed myself, and I do this to help my brothers who have been struck by misfortune. I do this because the world is in a bad state, and I want to give some kind of future to those who were born in the poorer, worse-off part of the world… Well, let's go!" With these words, smugglers on the coast of North Africa welcome illegal migrants who have boarded their boats, determined to make the crazy journey across the Mediterranean Sea to reach the shores of their dream destination, Italy – the island of Lampedusa. Crammed into small boats by the hundreds, they begin the journey of their lives, none of them certain whether they will reach Europe. What drives them to take such a desperate step and leave their homes and families for the "land of milk and honey" that is Europe? Some are driven by war, others by famine, others by unemployment and disease, or simply by the desire for a better life, whatever the cost. Sometimes even their own lives. This unprecedented migration has been going on for years, but has recently gained tremendous momentum, so Europe is drawing "impassable perimeter lines," building barbed wire fences, changing internal laws, and adopting "global solutions" to help solve the problem of illegal migration.

Like other European countries, Lithuania is also experiencing a migrant crisis. Perhaps our "migrant quotas" are not as large as those of Germany, France, Italy, or our neighbor Poland, but every passerby on the street will have something to say on the subject, will have their own opinion, and, more often than not, it will be quite categorically directed against black migrants from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and other sub-Saharan African countries. The ARTYN theater's satire "There Are Too Many of Us on This Damn Ship" does not seek to change Lithuanians' opinions about migration, but invites them to take a comprehensive look at all sides of the issue. Without judging or blaming anyone, but seeing the whole picture as it is. To quote theater scholar Audra Žukaitytė, "Theater is a meeting place where people try to talk about important things." That is what we will do. We will talk about important issues that not only affect our present, but also, step by step, imperceptibly transform the face of society and change our future.

"There are too many of us on this damn ship" – the title of the play may seem harsh or even repulsive, but there are already too many sugar-coated topics in life: we long for certainty and authenticity, without embellishment and lies. This is what this satire is about, in which each viewer can choose: which part of the world do you live in – the poorer, poorly organized part, or the better, well-organized part?

Creative team:
Playwright: Matei Vișniec
Director and set designer: Marta Vendland
Lighting designer: Mantvydas Poškus
Sound director: Andrius Šatovas
Choreography: Elinga Serapinaitė, Photographer
: Eglė Sabaliauskaitė
Music by Antonín Dvořák, Georges Bizet, Gaetano Donizetti, Pietro Mascagni, Edvard Grieg, Giacomo Puccini, Camille Saint-Saëns, Jean Sibelius, Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner.

Cast:
NARRATOR: Vitalijus Budrikas/Aurimas
Pintulis THREE GIRLS: Jurgita Hiršienė, Laura Geraščenko/Živilė Chankevič, Giedrė Butkienė
ELIHU/FEHEDAS/AJUBAS: Renata Raugienė
AUDRUTĖ/WOMAN WITH A SCARF: Edita Baluškevičienė
IGORIS/BURIAL DIRECTOR: Andrius Kymantas

MAN WITH A SUITCASE/MAN WHO SMILES/PRESIDENT: Andrius Repečka
ANAITA: Ana Gucol
ALEXA: Alvyda Toleikienė
MARILYN MONROE: Laura Geraščenko
NEWS ANCHOR: Jurgta Hiršienė