Artificial intelligence (AI) solutions have already become a significant part of our lives. No matter if we want it or not, we still use it even when unlocking our smartphones: what recognises our fingerprints?

We also hear that AI assists in diagnosing various diseases. This smart AI is also a threat to our workplaces – packagers and operators are successfully replaced by robots. We are living in the dawn of self-driving cars. What will come next? Maybe AI will take exams for us or write a screenplay? Maybe it is not yet in your library but online you can find examples of books or music, painted pictures, and promotional scripts developed by AI. What will come next? Maybe poets and playwrights will no longer have to use their grey cells and only sign new works of art after simply entering some keywords? Maybe there will be no need for theatre playwrights either? Maybe AI will be able to recreate William Shakespeare’s poetry or the dramas of ancient authors? Perhaps this question inspired a Latvian actor and playwright Kārlis Krūmiņš to experiment with artificial language module GPT-3 (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer), developed by the company OpenAI (it should be noted that it is the product of Elon Musk), capable of generating text indistinguishable from a man-made text. After several months of efforts to talk to the machine, the artist was holding a play in his hands.

VALTERS SĪLIS

In 2010, graduated in stage directing from the Latvian Academy of Culture. Became widely known in 2011 with his performances in three different theatres in Latvia focusing on painful events in Latvia’s history. Sīlis currently stages Latvian classics and contemporary plays at the Latvian National Theatre and also continues to test and push his skills as a director and performer on smaller stages of independent theatres. At the center of V. Sīlis’ performances are painful and ‘awkward’ episodes of Latvian history, presented in a theatrical language unfettered by stereotypes and prejudices, subtly humane and bursting in an unexpectedly humorous theatrical language.

In Lithuania he has directed the following plays: Jānis Balodis, Goda Dapšytė Barricades (Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, 2014,) Jānis Balodis Forest Brother (National Kaunas Drama Theatre, 2015), Karlis Kruminš Frankenstein Complex (National Kaunas Drama Theatre, 2022).

THE NATIONAL KAUNAS DRAMA THEATRE

The National Kaunas Drama Theatre is the oldest professional theatre in Lithuania which was founded on 19 December, 1920. During its years of existence, the cradle of professional drama survived the change of different names. In November of 2012 it gained the status of  the national theatre for nurturing national dramaturgy, consistent educational activity and repertoire distinguished by its idiosyncratic creative touch. The theatre was established in place of the former ‘Metropolitan’ cinema which was situated in the Art Deco building dating 1928.