THE TURQUOISE MONSTER

Age rating – 14 +

Director – Aidas Giniotis.
Stage and costume designer – Ramunė Skrebūnaitė.

Zelu, the Turquoise Monster – Matas Pranskevičius, Jurgis Marčėnas
Dardane, princess of Sakartvel, mistress of Taer – Jovita Jankelaitytė/Justina Smieliauskaitė
Taer, prince of Nankin – Jurgis Marčėnas, Matas Pranskevičius
Fanfur, ruler of Nankin, father of Taer – Dalius Skamarakas
Gulindi, slave, second wife of Fanfur – Judita Urnikytė
Smeraldina, Dardane’s maid – Diana Kamarauskaitė
Trufaldino, servant of Taero – Vaidotas Žitkus
Leandro – Jonas Šarkus
Tartalia – Lukas Auksoraitis
Brigela, captain of the Guard – Danas Kamarauskas
Pantalone – Darius Auželis

Duration – 3 hours (with an intermission)
Premiere – 2024 05 10

Another play by the genius Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi is revived at Keistuoliai Theatre – the true Lithuanian home of the commedia dell’arte – engaging the audience in a theatrical celebration full of magic, metaphors, symbols, music and witty irony.

The commedia dell’arte, born in Italy in the 16th century, was not long in enchanting almost the whole Europe, and its influence stretched back centuries. The secret of its enduring popularity and audience affection lay in the masks – the characters, each of whom was easily recognisable both in the smallest village and in the most glamorous metropolis. The same characters swirled around and around in new whirlpools of passion and local relevance, creating a captivating mix of music, dance and wit.

The spectacular commedia dell’arte did not bypass Lithuania – though it was several centuries too late. Aidas Giniotis, a master of the genre and, not to lie, Carlo Gozzi’s local representative on Lithuanian land, will present his fifth commedia dell’arte play to our country’s audiences! 

C. Gozzi’s “The Turquoise Monster”, following the best traditions of the genre, is a vivid, sensual, magical and hopeful tragicomedy, immersing you in a whirlpool of love and revenge, deceit and wonder, vividly spun by improvising actors. The story unfolding in the mystical city of Nankin could take place in any or no other place in the world; the events that befall the characters are universally recognisable and lifelike, and yet so spontaneous and magical that boredom will never find a place in the audience.

“The Turquoise Monster” and its masked characters invite you to take an action that is especially important these days – to see what lies deep inside. It is an allegorical story about the masks of everyday life that imprison authenticity and the true self, an invitation not to succumb to the trappings of physical bodies and glossy covers, but rather to see what is seen with closed eyes and open hearts.