Estonian Piret Jaaks' play 'Rites of Passage' opens in Lithuania Saturday
"Rites of Passage," a play about grief and renewal by Estonian playwright Piret Jaaks, premieres this Saturday at the Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre in Panevėžys.
Translated and directed by Paulius Pinigis, the play follows a young married couple who move to the countryside to cope with a devastating loss. As Askur grows angrier, Anna begins to find solace in a mysterious white elk.
Pinigis says the play explores life's liminal moments, when one chapter ends but the next one hasn't yet begun. "Liminal states are inevitable in one's life," he said. "The main question is how to get through them and move forward."
A ten-member cast brings the Lithuanian version to the stage.
This is the first production of "Rites of Passage" outside Estonia, a milestone Jaaks called a "small miracle" given how hard it is for Estonian works to reach foreign stages.
The play tackles delicate themes, including the loss of a child, she said, adding that she was flattered that the Lithuanians took interest in it.
"Rites of Passage" won the 2019 Estonian Theater Agency playwriting competition and was staged at Ugala Theater the following year as "White Elk." It has since been adapted into a novel and licensed for a film.
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Editor: Karmen Rebane, Aili Vahtla
