While relentlessly living in the historical times of chaos and political turmoil, fighting against evil and protecting what we can protect, we have decided to run this edition of the Sirenos festival under the title of Theatre is a Weapon. What can we do with this weapon in our hands? What are we willing to protect? Defend? Are we willing to attack, to hurt?
We will present two shows by Tiago Rodrigues – „Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists“ and „By Heart“ (October 8-10), which probe the problems of today‘s society and democracy in the most beautifully disturbing ways.
Lithuanian theatre
And we will also present a very special edition of the Lithuanian theatre showcase: a queer gaze on the Lithuanian theatre, as observed by its curator, young stage director Naubertas Jasinskas. The Showcase will take place in Vilnius September 25-28, 2025.
Naubertas Jasinskas about the showcase: “The queer gaze is a vital lens through which we challenge and expand traditional narratives. At a time when queerness is increasingly targeted—from ridiculous bans in the U.S. to global regressions—the queer gaze is essential in shaping a more inclusive and compassionate cultural landscape, both in Lithuania and beyond.”
The 2025 programme features:
September 25th, Thursday
17:00 Return (director Naubertas Jasinskas), Klaipeda drama theatre | theatre
19:30 Rave of Riot (choreographer Agnietė Lisičkinaitė), Lithuanian Music and Theatre cademy| dance
September 26th, Friday
14:00 tremolo (director Laura Kutkaitė), MMLAB| performative lecture | Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University
17:00 The Saint (director Oskaras Koršunovas and Egle Jackaite), OK Theatre | theatre
19:00 Anatomy of a Suicide (play by Alice Birch, director Uršulė Barto), Lithuanian National Drama Theatre | theatre
September 27th, Saturday
15:00 Not What We Agreed (director Dominykas Vaitiekūnas) | music theatre
17:30 Clap and slap (by Agnietė Lisičkinaitė, Igor Shugaleev), Be kompanijos | dance
19:30 Dance For a Cigarette and a Best Friend (by Greta Grinevičiūtė), MMLAB | dance
21:30 Rainbow Musical (by Greta Stiormer), Kaunas Artists’ House | music theatre
September 28th, Saturday
16:00 Mahamaya Electronic Devices (directors Iwan Wyrypajew, Mykola Mishyn), Panevėžys Juozas Miltinis drama theatre
NOTE: Should you be interested, during the showcase days, there will also be an opportunity to see Lukasz Twarkowski‘s newest show Quanta and Eglė Švedkauskaitė‘s Stand Up for Meaning and Meaninglessness, although they are not part of the showcase.
What we offer for the showcase:
- free tickets to all the shows (all shows will have English surtitles)
- list of recommended hotels and special festival prices during the stay in Vilnius (maximum 5 nights)
- there will be a meeting with the showcase curator, networking events introducing Lithuanian artists and organizations working with queer topics, some discussions, a drag show, awards ceremony and wonderful time together.
Registration
If you are interested in participating, please fill in the registration form below before August 15th. Please note that we have a limited number of tickets to the shows so early birds get a better chance of being seated.
Please share this information with Your colleagues, if You know ones that might be interested in joining the Showcase.
If you have any additional questions, we will be happy to answer them.
Meanwhile – our team can‘t wait for your replies and arrival in Vilnius!
Cheers!
Kristė Savė, Artistic director
Ada Paukšytė, international guests coordinator
& Sirenos team
Festival SIRENOS organised by Lithuanian Theatre Information Centre
