What is common between renaissance beauty, writer with a headscarf and Soviet heroine? They all, together with a group of friends, are rushing to the stage to tell everybody what it’s like to be a woman in Lithuania. In the country where head of the state is a woman, where magazine “Tik vyrams” (lith. Only for Men) is still mocking emancipation, where during interwar court for fashion was organized. Moreover, to love another women was better done disguised as a man, where romantic loved was fast to become a bad story, where voting rights for women were granted among first in Europe, where it’s still hard for sprouts of violets to root and blossom and actresses are only needed as young lovers or their mothers.

On the stage next to Asta, Ieva, Marija, Rugile and Vaiva will show up Barbora, Bona, Dalia, Julija, Marytė and Teklė that marked their place in history. Together they will speak about today’s young Lithuanian women and tradition, that brought them. While elderly colleagues will remind them that history was very hostile for the Lithuanian women: not a lot of space is left for them. Those, who made it, are often here only because their beauty or power to influence men’s decisions. But what’s to be done if you want to be part of country’s history but you’re neither exceptional beauty, nor extremely powerful? Maybe the only way is to burn down such depiction of women and after witching dance start creating new tradition?

The stories told during the performance-concert “Beautiful and powerful”, are based on real facts and fictional stories. Spectators will be transformed to different historical periods and different periods of women’s life, that are resented through different music styles. Honest excitement will be followed by humorous stories, while these – by fierce irony. Things will be said, that otherwise shouldn’t be said, and fun will be made of things that are not necessarily funny. In order that blossoms of violets could decorate heads of proud women, men and everybody in between.

Creative team: Vaiva Kvedaravičiūtė, Rugilė Latvėnaitė, Ieva Pakštytė, Asta Zacharovaitė, Marija Žemaitytė
Assistant of playwright: Kristina Steiblytė
Costume designer: Rūta Lendraitytė
Lights: Julius Kuršis
Sound: Laurynas Milinis
Premiere: December 13, 2018
Photos by: Eglė Sabaliauskaitė