THE DILETTANTE
 (who dreamt of an Angel). Kosmos Theatre (Lithuania)

Director and screenwriter: Žilvinas Vingelis
Artist: Neringa Keršulytė
Composer: Andrius Šiurys
Video artist: Tomas Stonys
Engineer: Deividas Dzikevičius
Lighting designer: Vilius Vilutis
Puppet choreographer: Eugenijus Slavinskas
Producer: Darius Vizbaras
Performer: Airida Gintautaitė
Photos: Alipio Padilha

Premiere: May 29, 2024

This performance by Kosmos Theatre that combines art, science and technology, intriguingly reveals the personality of Jean Cocteau – a portrait of a famous 20th century French interdisciplinary artist. He was a friend of Igor Stravinsky, Marcel Proust, Nobel Prize winner André Gide and Pablo Picasso. And a tireless creator: film director, theatre playwright, poet, boxing manager, pianist, traveller, sculptor, artist, associated with Dadaism and Surrealism movements, however never fully belonging to any.

Interpreting Cocteau’s creative path and biography, performance creators analyse what exactly is a contemporary artist and who are we. The key accent of the performance is the early 20th century theatre style, reminiscent of a modernistic cabaret atmosphere – from an old-fashioned street announcement pole to mechanized scenographic transformations. The connection with the audience is created through visual images, sound manipulations, puppet, object and shadow theatre elements.

Jean Cocteau’s face model and voice mask for the performance were generated by artificial intelligence, and the dreamlike, hypnotizing image of the artist’s world is created on stage by actress Airida Gintautaitė, who has been awarded three Golden Stage Crosses.

Kosmos Theatre was established in March 2020, bringing together young theatre, sound and visual artists, programmers, philosophers and scientists of various fields for joint experimental visual theatre creation and promotion in Lithuania.

Kosmos Theatre bases its activities on the main priorities emphasized in its manifesto. First of all – the exploration of non-material reality, dreams, visions and various pseudo-realities (virtual, internet etc.). Also, a great importance is put on the synthesis of science and art, reflected in both content and form: the theatre collaborates with scientists from various fields, consults on chosen topics and searches for new formats of artistic language and expression. The third theatre priority is extending theatre beyond its traditional boundaries – by organizing street theatre workshops and carrying out the annual project – visual theatre workshop ‘Kosmos Theatre LAB’20’.

Kosmos Theatre strives to invite those, who have forgotten or become disappointed with theatre, to create new ways of carrying out theatrical thought and to reduce the gap between theatre, modern technologies and modern people.

The theatre was founded by the director and artistic director Žilvinas Vingelis, producer and director Darius Vizbaras, artist Dovilė Gecaitė and composer Andrius Šiurys.

Žilvinas Vingelis – theatre director, artistic director, LMTA PhD candidate. In 2016, he completed bachelor’s studies in theatre directing, and in 2018 – his master’s studies. From 2017 to 2019, he was both the artistic director and director of the Baltic Chamber Opera Theatre. In 2020, he founded the independent visual experiments theatre named Kosmos Theatre, where he works as an artistic director and creates performances, installations, visual and sound experiences. Since 2020, he has been the coordinator of creative programmes at Vilnius Theatre Lėlė. 

Ž. Vingelis has directed performances at the Kaunas National Drama Theatre, Vilnius Theatre Lėlė, cultural bar Kablys and others. He also creates dramaturgy and scenography for his own performances and is the artistic director of the visual theatre workshop Kosmos LAB. Since 2021, he has been coordinating the experimental contemporary puppet theatre creative laboratory SurReality Check. Vingelis also creates interactive and virtual art, and was awarded the Golden Stage Cross for Lithuania’s first online performance #Protest.