Justina Jukonytė – director, actress, educator. In 2002, she completed her acting studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and in 2013 – received a master’s degree in directing at Klaipėda University. She further improved her skills at the European Film College (Denmark). She has created parts at the Panevėžys Juozas Miltinis Theatre, Klaipėda Puppet Theatre, Oskaras Koršunovas Theatre and Vilnius Theatre Lėlė. In 2015, she won the Golden Stage Cross award for the performance Love, don’t stop with Troupe 459.

In 2022, she directed the performance About the World at Vilnius Theatre Lėlė (scriptwriter and director) that was awarded the Golden Stage Cross in the object and puppet performance category in 2023. She has also taught acting at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and Vilnius Design College.

Scriptwriter and Director:
Justina Jukonytė 

Designer:
Neringa Keršulytė

Composer:
Vykintas A. Jasaitis

Actors:
Erika Gaidauskaitė and Indrė Vėlyvytė

Photos by: Dainius Labutis

WAKIE-WAKIE, WAKIE UP
WAKIE BEASTS AND WAKIE BIRDS,
WAKIE TREES AND BUSHES,
WAKIE, HERBS AND FLOWERS, WAKIE FRUITS AND BERRIES.
WAKE UP YOU, OH PEOPLE TOO, IN YOUR SPIRIT AND IN YOUR HEARTS,
WAKE UP TO GROW.

(A. Ilgelevičienė ‘The Very First Festivals’)

This performance, aimed to develop a child’s eyesight, hearing and touch, reveals the world as an ever-changing creative space that follows the laws of nature’s cycles, and humans – as an inseparable part of nature that contains the entire Universe.

The performance ‘About The World’ is inspired by one of the oldest myths about the creation of the world. A giant duck perched on the water on the moon. After laying an egg, it was about to hatch. But when it got the urge to peck, it flew off in search of food. Meanwhile, the rain came and wetted the nest, making a hole in it, through which the egg fell out. It bounced into a cloud and broke into three pieces. From the yolk came the earth, from the white – the waters and from the shell – the sky and stars. 

Vilnius Theatre Lėlė performances are based on Lithuanian and foreign folk tales, as well as motifs found in the works of well-known Lithuanian and foreign children authors. In addition, Lėlė creates puppet and drama performances for adults, based on national dramaturgy and world literature classics.

The theatre’s creators aim for Lėlė to be open to both the best traditions of puppet theatre for children and valuable contemporary theatre trends. But the most important goal is for the theatre to remain interesting and necessary for both young viewers and adults.