Events

Slabodkės Vyšnelė is a warm and nostalgic musical performance by actor and musician Dominykas Vaitiekūnas, featuring true stories from the life of Dominykas and his family.

A family party at Uncle Antanas' garage, the Daktar gang wreaking havoc in Kaunas, adventures in a Soviet women's prison, a carpet on the wall, and the business deals of the early 90s, which relatives engaged in as soon as Lithuania regained its independence. These are just a few details that embellish the story and make the audience smile and laugh, and later wipe away a tear upon hearing that behind the fun details of life lie people's fates, which are not always easy. 

The play was born after a 27-year hiatus, when Dominykas visited his aunt Genutė, whose home in Vilijampolė seemed to him like a fairy-tale land or the most distant and luxurious foreign country. In 1994, his aunt opened a small shop called Vyšnelė in Vilijampolė, which was like a gateway to the Western world: imported sweets and boxes of his favorite chewing gum, LOVE IS, were proof of a luxurious life.

A chance invitation from Genutė on Facebook prompts Dominykas to go on a date with his aunt and, together with her, search his memory and try to find answers to questions that were discussed behind his back in the family. 

The work was created in collaboration with the Kaunas 2022 festival. 

Dominykas Vaitiekūnas is a professional actor, music creator, and performer who is most often seen in musical performances and shows on the Lithuanian theater scene and has created dozens of roles in theater and cinema. He gained his knowledge of contemporary musicals in the United Kingdom and at various seminars in Lithuania and Europe. He is best known in the music world as a member of the band Liūdni slibinai. He is currently creating his own musical autobiographical programs, combining music and autobiographical storytelling.

Kęstutis Vaitkevičius is a guitarist and composer who creates music for performances and actively performs with various Lithuanian music groups.

Doors open: 6:00 p.m.

Duration of the event: 1 hour 45 minutes.