{"id":52157,"date":"2026-08-24T10:29:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T07:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/event\/street-theater-performance-until-i-return-home-a-lithuanian-odyssey-in-a-klaipeda-neighborhood\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T10:29:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T07:29:09","slug":"street-theater-performance-until-i-return-home-a-lithuanian-odyssey-in-a-klaipeda-neighborhood","status":"publish","type":"mec-events","link":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/event\/street-theater-performance-until-i-return-home-a-lithuanian-odyssey-in-a-klaipeda-neighborhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Street Theater Performance \u201cUntil I Return Home\u201d: A Lithuanian Odyssey in a Klaip\u0117da Neighborhood"},"content":{"rendered":"

For children, the courtyard of an apartment building is a place where anything can happen. For adults, it\u2019s often just the path from the car to the front door. Even the theater artists photographing the courtyard are supported by \u201cGoogle Maps.\u201d \u201cKiemArta\u201d wants to see what would happen if we looked at our own courtyard through the eyes of a child again. On August 27, in the courtyards of Bandu\u017eiai, the Lithuanian folk tale \u201cThe Skeleton Old Man on the Iron Mountain\u201d will be transformed into a street theater performance titled \u201cUntil I Return Home.\u201d <\/span>
\n<\/span> On August 27, the Skeletal Old Man, the Swans, the Mother of Birds, and other heroes from Lithuanian folk tales will appear among the red apartment buildings in Bandu\u017eiai. The stage will not be a theater hall, but a real courtyard\u2014complete with balconies, flower beds, a children\u2019s playground, cars, and neighbors. More than forty young artists from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater, the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and Kaunas University of Technology have been working together for ten days to create the play *Until I Return Home*. <\/span>
\n<\/span> Playwright Simas Zokaitis calls this Lithuanian folk tale a unique Lithuanian heroic saga: \u201cIt\u2019s like a Lithuanian version of superheroes. The Avengers. Jonas Basanavi\u010dius compiled a medley of Lithuanian fairy tales\u2014this is our Lithuanian Odyssey.\u201d <\/span>
\n<\/span> However, it is not just the fairy tale itself that matters to the creators of the play. What is even more important is what happens when a fairy tale appears in a place that people are so accustomed to seeing that they take it for granted. Director Monika Steponavi\u010di\u016bt\u0117 explains that her first meetings with the residents of Bandu\u017eiai revealed something unexpected: \u201cThe magic is already happening in the courtyard. Residents are ready to share electricity from their balconies, and a local black cat comes to the flower beds. And when the children see us photographing the location, they think we\u2019re \u2018Google Maps.\u2019\u201d <\/span>
\n<\/span> Children still see their courtyard as a place where something interesting can happen. \u201cKiemArta\u201d wants adults to regain that perspective as well. According to the project\u2019s creators, the courtyard shouldn\u2019t just be a stopover between the car and the apartment. It\u2019s one of the few public spaces where different people live side by side every day. However, living side by side doesn\u2019t necessarily mean being together. Director Jurgita Rud\u0117nait\u0117 says that this is precisely the kind of encounter they\u2019re aiming for: \u201cWe want to give the audience the feeling that magic exists in every courtyard. We want to sprinkle a pinch of magic into the pancake batter this evening.\u201d <\/span>
\n<\/span> \u201cUntil I Come Home\u201d is deliberately created not only for the traditional theatergoer. Children, seniors, neighbors, and those who have never had a reason to seek out culture in Bandu\u017eiai are all invited to this fairy-tale-like courtyard. <\/span>
\n<\/span> The creators of \u201cKiemArta\u201d have experienced firsthand that this shared experience transforms more than just the audience. The project has brought together young artists from various fields of theater who are learning to create together\u2014not by competing, but by trusting one another. Set designer Maja Kriau\u010di\u016bnait\u0117: \u201cUsually, when working at the academy, there\u2019s a lot of competition and tension, but here there are so many young, ambitious artists who all work together and help one another.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

“Until I Come Home”\u2014a play about coming home. <\/span>
\n<\/span>Not only the return of the fairy-tale heroes, but also our own return to a place that we see every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

On August 27 at 6:30 p.m., the Skeleton Grandpa will arrive at the courtyards of 6 J\u016brinink\u0173 Ave. and 4 L\u016b\u017e\u0173 St. The event is free and open to everyone. <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>Maybe it’s worth coming by to see if there’s still room for a fairy tale in your backyard.<\/span><\/p>\n

“KiemArta” 2026<\/b> \u2013 A joint project of the Klaip\u0117da Youth Theater, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater, the public institution \u201cMeno banga,\u201d and the student creative group \u201cA\u0161aka.\u201d The project is partially funded by the Klaip\u0117da City Municipality. \u201cKiemArta\u201d is now in its second year. <\/span><\/p>\n

Our event is sponsored by: \u201cBir\u017e\u0173 duona,\u201d ME2U snacks, \u201cB\u016bk\u010dia kombu\u010dia,\u201d Baltic Palettes, and the Klaip\u0117da Culture Factory. <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/b>Creative Team<\/b>
\n<\/span>Orestas Streikus, Matas Jeremi\u010dius, Agn\u0117 Virkutyt\u0117, Motiejus A\u0161kelovi\u010dius, Pijus \u0160iaulys, Medein\u0117 Marija Gavrilov\u0117, Viktorija Aliukonyt\u0117, Adomas Jakovlevas, Emilija Ieva Giedraityt\u0117, Goda Dambrauskait\u0117, Emilija \u017duravliovait\u0117, Dita Klinkait\u0117, Jonas Rakauskas, Amelija Ramonait\u0117, D\u017eiugas \u0160veikauskas, Vytaut\u0117 Luko\u0161aityt\u0117, Emilija Gri\u0161konyt\u0117, Simas Zokaitis, Migl\u0117 Cirulyt\u0117, Aurelija \u0160i\u0161kait\u0117, Lukrecija Penkauskait\u0117, Simona Grigoryan, Jurgita Rud\u0117nait\u0117, Monika Steponavi\u010di\u016bt\u0117, Daniel\u0117 Kairyt\u0117, Ugn\u0117 Dauk\u0161ait\u0117, Simonas Kukys, Gerda Dapk\u016bnait\u0117, Rugil\u0117 Kasputyt\u0117, Urt\u0117 Kliaudaityt\u0117, Ieva Zubaityt\u0117, Maja Kriau\u010di\u016bnait\u0117, Nika Shilova, Robertas Tamo\u0161i\u016bnas, Laimis Kuzmickas, Martynas Mockevi\u010dius<\/span><\/p>\n

Photos by Ignas Aleinikovas. <\/span><\/p>\n

This report was prepared by<\/b>
\n<\/b>A\u0161aka Creative Team<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We invite you to follow all the latest updates on the social media accounts of the student creative group \u201cA\u0161aka.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Facebook: <\/span>https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/asaka.ashaka\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Instagram: <\/span>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/asaka_ashaka\/<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For children, the courtyard of an apartment building is a place where anything can happen. For adults, it\u2019s often just the path from the car to the front door. Even the theater artists photographing the courtyard are supported by \u201cGoogle Maps.\u201d \u201cKiemArta\u201d wants to see what would happen if we looked at our own courtyard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":52153,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[],"mec_category":[474],"mec_locations":[1042],"class_list":["post-52157","mec-events","type-mec-events","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","mec_category-performances"],"acf":[],"mec_location":[{"id":1042,"name":"The inner courtyard of the apartment buildings at 6 J\u016brinink\u0173 St. and 4 L\u016b\u017e\u0173 St.","slug":"the-inner-courtyard-of-the-apartment-buildings-at-6-jurininku-st-and-4-luzu-st"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mec-events\/52157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mec-events"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/mec-events"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52157"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52157"},{"taxonomy":"mec_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mec_category?post=52157"},{"taxonomy":"mec_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klaipedatravel.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mec_locations?post=52157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}