Thomas Mann had a short but memorable connection to Lithuania. Five years after the publication of his novel The Magic Mountain, in August 1929, he, his wife Katia Pringsheim-Mann and their two children arrived in Nida, an archaic fishing village on the Curonian Spit, a peninsula surrounded by the Baltic Sea, Curonian Lagoon, pine forests and sand dunes. The family stayed at Hermann Blode’s, a guest house with colorful memories of German expressionist painters.

The existential text of the novel Flights (“Bieguny”) by Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk has inspired actress Aldona Vilutytė and director Jonas Kuprevičius – theater creators of different generations – to create a chamber performance in which the themes of the novel are explored through one woman’s intimate presence with herself.

On December 31, the premiere of the play Ubu Czar. The 21st Century Šėpa, based on the play Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry, and directed by Gintaras Varnas will take place in the Youth Theater. Playwright Sigitas Parulskis is currently working on a play that he’s writing especially for the performance. The main character – Ubu Czar-Putin – will be played by actor Vytautas Anužis. Author of the stage design – Gintaras Makarevičius. Author of the puppets – Julija Skuratova. Composer – Martynas Bialobžeskis.