The Key of Conversion is to listen and hear

« Tell us how » what do you say?  » Idea?

– I would say that this idea was more inspired by S. Pinaitytė, with her directed « Bildukas », conducting classes in the Children’s Theater Studio, and we talk a lot about work, about our students in the Children’s Theater Studio. We discussed the misunderstanding of how and in what situations it is revealed, what it means to be misunderstood, how we accept our pupils’ growth and accompanying transformations – from 13 to 14 years, from 15 to 16 years. There are two weeks to stop the child, and when it comes, it is completely changed, Tadas, no longer Taduk, even the voice another and we immediately feel that we have to communicate a little differently.

We have clarified that there is a lot of miscommunication in situations, and if we do not learn to listen in time, finding ways to talk in life more difficult, we are unable to accept something, and we have walls. The period of transition to adolescence is one of the moments when we learn this – a brighter personal formation begins, ego. Often, a child may feel without understanding how to keep in touch with the environment, which makes some start to close from the world, they seem to not understand them, they are hostile, even though they are simply unable to communicate with them. We adults may have fewer such miscommunication situations, but as they grow, much more and they can be very painful.

Carol Maisy. Photo by P. Sadauskas

« While you were purifying » what do you say?  » The material, how did you name yourself, what is the main cause of misunderstanding?

– We don’t listen. We do not listen to the words we tell us or what they are trying to say. If we really listen, we could hear and understand. Even with disadvantaged opinions and beliefs, we could communicate without conflict by listening to each other, even by agreeing that we are all right and wrong in our truth.

Sometimes it is necessary to decide whether it is important to deal with another opinion, but the key to communication is to listen and hear.

– You will illustrate misunderstanding in the performance very directly, using Glosolalia. How did you make this decision?

– It was inspired by the exercise we did yet in our studies. Stage language lectures are a beloved lecturer Assoc. dr. Danutė Vaigauskaitė asked for a fictional language to describe what we were dreaming about, to tell various stories, fairy tales or think riddles. This is a very playful exercise that sounded very interesting linguistic structures, and they, by the way, trying to understand what colleagues say, created various strange additional contexts. That is, fictional words seemed to have meaning, pointing somewhere. A very interesting phenomenon. We were developing not only monologues but also dialogues. The key is to listen to the thought without a word sheath.

« Do you say » what do you say?  » The audience will be fully included in the space of the misunderstanding, or will you leave some guidelines?

– It was clear to us from the beginning that if we wanted the audience to follow the performance action, they needed links. When watching the performance, it will be understood – as we understand something while staying abroad, even though we do not speak language.

And yes, the audience will understand the characters, they will have additional guidelines, it is necessary to evaluate the depth of the characters’ misunderstanding, the gap that opens between the girl and her environment.

– Did you support some logic when creating a foreign language, how did you put it in its structure?

– We were looking for what would be best for every actor, and what is best suited to the characters they create. For example, it was very natural that the bus driver speaks with a large dense mustache with a rough -sounding text. We all searched for the best sound and its shades.

– You also invited a psychologist to the performance of the performance, what is her role?

– Yes. We are helped by psychologist Aušra Gudjonytė, and in her practice, she has a lot of experience with children at risk. We consider various hypothetical miscommunication scenarios with a psychologist and what reveals them through them. For example, what does it mean when children say no, how it looks like an adult and what it really means – measuring boundaries, personality growth. Together we are looking for a variety of universal household situations where moments of developmental psychology reveal through various misunderstandings. “What do you say?” is for the children on the verge of maturity and their parents, we try to show the moment of the fracture.

We are also used to create an information memory for a family that can be taken from the performance and may be able to serve in everyday situations so that they do not scream and become conflicts of misunderstanding.

We also have a creative consultant Gabriel Jaugylytė in the team, with her psychological prism in the scenario, and strive to make the performance as accurate as possible and that it actually takes place.

– You also included members of the Children’s Theater Studio at Klaipėda Drama Theater. They are already ready for the stage?

– Some students have been with us for a very long time and have a lot of experience, and we have been communicating with some for 4-6 years. We know them well and know what tasks to form so that they can be happy to climb the stage. Children will perform covering actions in the performance – there will be townspeople, students. They are really ready for that. On stage, they respond very well to the main character Ema, some seem even older than S. Pinaitytė. Their presence will help viewers better feel the world of children.

We fully trust our students, I know that they are very much looking forward to the exit to the stage. And during the studio classes, we create performances, but here’s a really real performance.

Carol Maisy. Photo by P. Sadauskas

– This is not the first time that members of the Children’s Theater Studio have been out of the studio, after the premiere of the premiere of the play for the children « Bildukas ».

– Yes. But they appear not only in the theater. Little by little we receive invitations from events outside the theater. There are even more invitations when they participate in one place. The children themselves are very fond of this experience because it is not about simple volunteering activities, but about theatrical shows. In early April, « Italian Days » will take place, students of the studio will simulate participants of the Venetian Carnival and wear masks. They had to perform a silent cinema in the theatrical contest of the song, after which they prepared and performed another such show after the same event. All this is very useful for children – each time they gain more confidence, overcome certain challenges.

Children’s Theater Studio is a huge perspective for children. They have many opportunities to participate in theater life, visit open rehearsals, get acquainted with the activities of various departments, and even participate in performances themselves. Not only do they play theater, they also participate in theater life. Maybe they will not be actors, but maybe the prospective scenographers, composers, light artists will grow from them – they will be people who have known and love the theater from an early age. After all, if the theater is not their future – they will have time for people who love culture and art in their childhood and adolescence. This is a huge benefit to an emerging personality.

– At the beginning of the season you presented the first performance for the children, and very quickly the second initiative appeared. How do you feel this time, what you have learned, what is better to understand after the Bilduk?

– This time I feel more fear, but at the same time calmer. Difficult to describe. Together with S. Pinaityte, by directing the « Bildukas », we tried to see all the details for ourselves, to embrace everything ourselves, and it came from various frustrations. This time I leave more space to other creators.

I believe everything will succeed. We want to create a good performance and the process includes many steps, alignment, observation, listening to the environment, learning. I know my idea and what I want, I understand how to communicate with actors and creative team, I can predict even as a performance will be accepted by children. But there are also fears.

– What seems the most important thing to do at the moment for children?

– Very simple – to be sincere and not lie. This is the key. If you are sincere, you will not talk to the children.

The performance « What do you say? » Premiere at Klaipėda Drama Theater on April 26 and 27.

Director and playwright Karolis Maiskkis, composer Edwin Vasilyev, stage designer Rytis Veverskis, stage designer Daiva Dašenkovienė, costume designer David Janulis, light artist Linas Rubinas, video projection artist Albertas Vaitiekus, director assistant Alius Veverskis. Aušra Gudjonytė.

The performance plays: Samanta Pinaitytė, Renata Idzelytė, Sigutė Gaudušytė, Vaidas Jočys, Jonas Baranauskas, students of Klaipėda Drama Theater Children’s Theater Studio.