D. Krymovs returns to Klaipėda with “Requiem” – premiere this weekend Culture

The performance premieres on May 11, 12 and 15.

Speaking to journalists after the excerpt of the performance, the director mentioned that in this performance it was important for him to poetically tell about a difficult and complicated state, for him “Requiem” is a mixture of regret and farewell.

“The play consists of formally unrelated scenes, but they are all about one and the same thing. I am going through some kind of colossal loss – of country, culture, people, faith, hope. And I wanted to tell about it in poetic form”, said D. Krymov.

Photo by P.Sadauskas/Digna Kulionytė, Dmitrijus Krymov, Artūras Lepiochinas

According to him, everything the viewers will see is about today, about the current state of the world – it would be wrong to talk about something else. The artist who speaks out against the aggression carried out by V. Putin does not hide that currently in Russia creators simply cannot speak openly, so there are lies on the stage of the theaters. “No matter what kind of play I put on, they would all be about what’s happening today. I can’t do otherwise. What else is there to talk about now?” the director mentioned. The director dedicates this performance to Rimus Tumins, who died this year.

Dmitry Krymov

• Dmitry Anatolyevich Krymov is a Russian artist, scenographer, pedagogue and theater director.
• Father – Anatoly Vasilyevich Efros was a Soviet theater and film director. In the era of stagnation, he was the main translator of Russian classics and “received many awards for creative excellence.”
• Awarded the “Golden Mask” award 5 times.
• In 2014, Krymov signed a collective letter of Russian cultural workers condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
• In 2022, D. Krymov left for the USA after the start of military operations.

Actor Darius Meškauskas, who plays the Interrogator in the play, complemented D. Krymov by adding that the theme chosen for “Requiem” is developed with the help of children and their original purity and innocence. “The children’s theme is very well chosen. They are like a litmus test. What will we do with the children? The main question is what’s next? Children answer everything – whether we are crazy or not. This is a criterion, a value, the future,” reasoned the actor. In the excerpt shown during the press conference, Hamlet shouts to Ophelia that you can’t give birth to children, you can’t, because everything is contaminated, poisonous. One of the questions crystallized in the performance is how the natural purity of man is compatible with the cruelty of the world that greets him from birth.

Photo by P.Sadauskas/D.Krymov “Requiem” in the Klaipėda Drama Theater

The director has described “Requiem” as a story without a clear plot, made of separate, seemingly unrelated beads, but united by one theme. Viewers will see an episode inspired by H. Murakami’s novel, as well as the aforementioned Shakespearean episode and others. Each segment will have its own specific resolution. Having started his career as an artist and first became famous as a talented scenographer, D. Krymov is internationally recognized as a master of visual, surprising stage works.

The creation of Requiem was also full of complex technical challenges that had to be overcome to create amazing scenes, and there will be plenty of visual details and large objects on stage. Set and costume designer Renata Valčik testified that her work in the process of creating this performance was to help implement the ideas and vision of the director, “I learn a lot from communicating with him – a different language, vision of the author. It is a very useful experience for me. The technical challenges are really big.” The scenographer mentioned that the creation of such a performance is also possible due to the theater’s own position, preparation to overcome considerable requirements arising in the process, “the joy that the theater is able to take on these challenges. I’m also happy for the actors.” According to R. Valčik, it is impressive that in addition to the creative side of their work, they bravely undertake tasks that test their body’s capabilities.

Photo by P.Sadauskas/D.Krymov “Requiem” in the Klaipėda Drama Theater

Actress Digna Kulionytė attended individual diving lessons while preparing for the role of Ofelia, her instructor also visited the theater, “I am grateful for this opportunity, for the fact that I could tame

water I realized what it means when, as an adult, I can learn something completely new – it brings so much happiness and joy.”

“Requiem” is played by almost all the same actors who also played in the director’s first performance in the Klaipėda drama theater “Fragmentas”. The role in the latter brought actress Samanta Pinaityta the “Golden Stage Cross” this year. Speaking about the creative process of Requiem, she emphasized the importance of silence. “It is just as important as the sound. I travel with this thought throughout the entire process,” said S. Pinaitytė, who plays the role of the Teacher who goes through a mystical and traumatic experience. Meanwhile, Karolis Maiskis, the actor playing the role of the Parachutist, aptly described that D. Krymov works with the elements, in “Fragment” we tamed earth and fire, and now we tackled water and air”. In this way, the actor mysteriously alluded to the task he himself had, which required him to acquire specific skills.

Photo by P.Sadauskas/Press conference in Klaipėda drama theater

Director, text author Dmitry Krymov, producer Inna Krymova, lighting designer Eugenijus Sabaliauskas, set designer, costume designer Renata Valčik, assistant set designer Daiva Dashenkovienė, choreographer Anna Abalikhina, sound director, composer Edvinas Vasilievas, dramaturgical assistant Virginija Rimkaitė, translator and director’s assistant Artūras Lepiochinas .

Cast: Darius Meškauskas, Samanta Pinaitytė, Karolis Maiskis, Digna Kulionytė, Sigutė Gaudušytė, Toma Gailiutė, Jonas Baranauskas, Artūras Lepiochinas, Elzė Jankūnaitė / Barbora Jokubauskaitė.

On stage: Vitalij Morozov, Mindaugas Matevičius, Romas Stonys, Audrius Jankauskas, Linas Bagdonas, Rokas Tomaševičius, Darius Matevičius, Paulius Aleknavičius, Voldemaras Piepolis, Rytis Veverskis.