XII International Festival "Druskininkai Summer Theatre CROSSING"

The first international festival, held in the summer of 2015 was attended not only by the artists from theaters and media, but received an attention of holidaymakers and citizens of Druskininkai, as well. “The name of the festival appears to confirm that for Druskininkai it is still complicated to acquire a strong theatrical summer face“, wrote a theater critique Daiva Šabasevičienė (“Lietuvos žinios“, 2015-08-11). The festival is still searching for its face, therefore “Sankryža“ gives a chance for experimentations and its program not only includes purely classic performances, but performances of new theatrical expressions, as well.  During 11 years of the festival the audience had a chance to see more than 150 performances from Armenia, Ukraine, Great Britain, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Israel, Lithuania and othars.. International Festival "Druskininkai Summer Theatre CROSSING" is not only a feast, it is also a meeting place of prominent and new performances‘ authors, theater stars, beginners and artists, who had won international awards. The off program of the festival consists of discussions about performances with actors, spectators and media representatives, meetings with prominent actors, presentations of movies on theater and theater directors.

07, 18.00 JUC (Jaunimo užimtumo centras), Veisiejų g. 17

Anat Gov„Oh my God!”comedy (Lumo studio, Lithuania, director – Gabrielė Tuminaitė)

08, 19.00 Grand Spa Lietuva, salė „Nemunas“, V. Kudirkos g. 45

• Charlie Chaplin “The Kid” silent movie and live music for the whole family. Participating: Arkady Gotesman (drums, percussion), Dmitry Golovanov (piano). It is unlikely that today, in the civilized world, there is someone who does not know Charlie Chaplin. And yet we recall: Sir Charles Spencer (Charlie) Chaplin (1889 - 1977) - American and English film actor, screenwriter, composer, film director, producer and editor, universal master of cinema, creator of one of the most famous images of world cinema - the image of the tramp Charlie. It is unlikely that any other person will ever be able to bring more joy; pleasure and relief at a time when most people so need them. And it is precisely today that the world is in great need of joy, pleasure and relief. Arkadiy Gotesman, one of the brightest and most original representatives of Lithuanian jazz and improvisational music, percussionist and percussionist, teacher of the Lithuanian Academy of Theatre, Music and Cinema, project author and composer, together with keyboard virtuoso Dmitry Golovanov, will perform his improvisation on the comic drama of silent films, the famous film Charlie Chaplin's The Kid (1921).

09, 18.00 Grand Spa Lietuva, salė „Nemunas“, V. Kudirkos g. 45

“Love Is Life“musical performance (Latvia, "IntRigaArt")

• This is an engaging theatrical concert based on the short story “The Journey of SeñorMartiros” by Aghasi Ayvazyan. While the performance is in Russian, the songs will be sung in eight languages ​​by Asmik Bagoyan and Vyacheslav Mitrokhin. Vyacheslav Mitrokhin is a legend of Latvian rock, an outstanding guitarist, and a member of the iconic band Modo; his work has played a significant role in Latvia’s musical culture. Asmik Bagoyan is an Armenian actress and singer based in Latvia whose work blends the cultural traditions of various peoples and is imbued with sincerity and deep emotion.

10, 19.00 JUC (Jaunimo užimtumo centras), Veisiejų g. 17

"My Bird" based on the works of Nobel Prize laureate Shai Agnon (Israel, ZERO Theatre), in Russian

• Oleg Rodovilsky’s one-man show is based on the short story "My Bird"—one of the most poignant and moving works by Shai Agnon, the preeminent Jewish writer of the 20th century. In the "ZERO" Theatre’s production, the vivid and touching coming-of-age story of a boy from a Jewish *shtetl*—who takes in a bird, befriends it, and then tragically loses it—is interwoven with the author’s famous Nobel Prize speech, which traces the defining stages of his life and literary career.

11, 19.00 JUC (Jaunimo užimtumo centras), Veisiejų g. 17

Kobo Abe “The Woman in the Dunes” (Israel, ZERO Theatre), in Russian

• This performance, based on Kobo Abe’s cult novel, was the theatre’s first major undertaking—a signature work that established the creative style and theatrical language defining the "ZERO" company. Since its debut, it has garnered rave reviews from theatre enthusiasts and literary experts alike, along with a host of accolades and festival awards for direction, lead performances, best duo, and lighting design. Audiences in Copenhagen, Budapest, Chisinau, Tashkent, Hanover, Berlin, and Druskininkai have applauded “The Woman in the Dunes”. Now, the production returns to Druskininkai as an honoured guest.„... In the adaptation by Oleg Rodovilsky and Marina Belyavtseva, Kobo Abe’s incredibly complex novel transforms into a story of two people—a mystical and strange love story set against a mysterious backdrop…”

12, 19.00 JUC (Jaunimo užimtumo centras), Veisiejų g. 17

Harald Mueller “Silent Night” (Lvov Academic Music and Drama Theatre named after Y.Drohobych, Ukraine), in Ukrainian, English subtitles

13, 19.00 JUC (Jaunimo užimtumo centras), Veisiejų g. 17

Birutė Mar "Unwritten Letter" performance based on the life and work of writer Šatrija Ragana (SOLO theatre, Lithuania)

• The play “The Unwritten Letter” was inspired by the life and work of the writer, educator, and philanthropist Marija Pečkauskaitė—known by the pen name Šatrijos Ragana (1877–1930). Raised on the Užventis estate, she became a passionate advocate of Lithuanian identity, inspired by the teacher Povilas Višinskis. After returning to Lithuania from her studies at the universities of Zurich and Fribourg (where she attended lectures on ethics and pedagogy as an auditor), she taught at the Pavandenė estate (Kelmė District), distributed Lithuanian books, founded the "Birutė" bookstore in Vilnius (which operated for a time), and led the Marijampolė progymnasium. 

13, 20.00 Sanatorija Belarus, Maironio g. 2, Kavinė

Ala and Gennady Viksman “40 years with a guitar” Singer-songwriter concert (Israel)

• Alla Viksman and Gennady Viksman (who became actively involved in the singer-songwriter genre in Vilnius in 1986) frequently met at bard song festivals; they married in 1991 and began performing as a duo. Gennady Viksman is a performer and a writer of lyrics and Russian translations for bossa nova songs. The duo immigrated to Israel in 2022, and they currently live and perform in Kiryat Motzkin. They have participated in and appeared as guests at festivals in Germany, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Israel, the USA, Georgia, Spain, and Armenia.

14, 19 00. JUC (Jaunimo užimtumo centras), Veisiejų g. 17

"HumanVoice" ("La voix humaine") musical performance in French based on Francis Paulenco mono opera (Klaipeda Youth Theatre)

• "The Human Voice" ("La voix humaine") - a musical performance in French. Based on the mono opera by Francis Poulenc. Libretto – Jean Cocteau. The musical performance "Human Voice" is a mosaic of nine paintings reflecting a woman's inner journey through tragic life experiences and her experiences. Sadness, disappointment, desire for revenge, hatred or passion are provoked by the Human Voice during a phone call, forcing us to reproduce and relive what we have forgotten. The musical material (piano) of the performance (mono opera) is adapted for two actresses (vocals and clavinova), divided into nine combined musical numbers and arranged using specific methods of actor singing, stroked accompaniment, and stage rhythm.