A new interpretation of Adam Mickiewicz’s “Dziady” – premiere in Kaunas

The National Drama Theatre in Kaunas will present the premiere of a new interpretation of parts II and IV of Adam Mickiewicz’s “Dziady”, directed by Jakub Skrzywanek. The play, combining romantic drama with contemporary social ritual, addresses the themes of violence, the legacy of trauma, and the dangers of glorifying heroic myths. Three premiere performances will take place on 28–30 November 2025. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is a partner of the event.

“Dziady” in the context of the legacy of violence and trauma – a contemporary reinterpretation of romantic drama

The National Drama Theatre in Kaunas will present a new interpretation of one of the most important works of Polish-Lithuanian culture. On 28, 29, and 30 November 2025, the premiere of the play “Lietuviškos Vėlinės” (Polish: “Dziady’), directed by Jakub Skrzywanek, one of the most interesting contemporary theatre artists in Poland, will take place on the Main Stage. Jakub Skrzywanek, artistic director of the National Old Theatre in Kraków since 2022, is known for tackling difficult social issues and creating performances that spark widespread public debate.

This time, the theatre stage became a space for him to address the topic of our greatest sins. The performance “Lietuviškos Vėlinės” is based on parts II and IV of Adam Mickiewicz’s “Dziady”, written at a time when the poet was living in Lithuania and describing pagan All Souls Day rituals. The director used this text as a starting point to create his own contemporary social ritual, which explores the history of sin – its consequences and deep roots in culture.

A romantic hero under the microscope of the present day – the history of Poland and Lithuania and Adam Mickiewicz’s interpretation

The central theme of the performance is the land – understood both as the territory of Poland and Lithuania, marked by wars, occupations, and various forms of violence, and as the life-giving soil that receives the dead, thus forming part of the endless cycle of life and death. The director shows that our history is a history of war, and that aggression and cruelty remain in the earth like unhealed wounds, passed down from generation to generation. In the staging, ghosts of the past confront their contemporary counterparts and pass on their disturbing legacy.

Skrzywanek also engages in a critical dialogue with Mickiewicz’s romantic hero – a fighting hero whose attitude in the face of contemporary threats takes on new, disturbing meanings. In the play, the director asks what the consequences are of glorifying the romantic vision of male heroism in times of growing fear and the spectre of war, while the weakest are marginalised and forgotten. But what happens when these romantic ideals obscure reality, paving the way for abuse, the justification of violence, and an authoritarian vision of reality? According to the director, although Mickiewicz’s hero fights for national liberation, he leaves no freedom for the woman who rejected his feelings.

Premiere of “Lithuanian Forefathers’ Eve” at the National Drama Theatre in Kaunas

The premiere of “Lietuviškos Vėlinės” will take place on 28, 29, and 30 November 2025 at the National Drama Theatre in Kaunas. The performance promises to be one of the most important theatrical events of the season – powerful, symbolic, and deeply rooted in contemporary fears and the historical memory of the region.

• Dates:  28 November 2025 at 6 p.m., 29 November 2025 at 6 p.m., and 30 November 2025 at 3 p.m.

• Venue: Main Stage, Nacionalinis Kauno dramos teatras (Laisvės al. 71, LT-44304 Kaunas, Lithuania)

• Tickets and more information: dramosteatras.lt

• Creators:  Jakub Skrzywanek (Director), Daiva Čepauskaitė (Dramaturgy Assistant), Agata Skwarczyńska (Set Design and Lighting), Ugnė Tamuliūnaitė (Costumes), Agnieszka Kryst (Choreography), Karol Nepelski (Composer), Ridas Beržauskas (Projections/Video), Virginija Vareikytė (Intimacy Coordinator), Justinas Marcinkevičius (Translator), Jūratė Petronienė (Translator), Gabrielė Andruškevič (Assistant Director), Artūras Sužiedėlis (Assistant Director)

• Cast: Povilas Barzdžius, Saulius Čiučelis, Laurynas Drumstas, Aurėja Gražytė, Motiejus Ivanauskas, Gytis Laskovas, Inga Mikutavičiūtė, Miglė Navasaitytė, Pijus Narijauskas, Ainis Pilipauskas, Kęstutis Povilaitis, Adelė Pabrėžaitė, Irena Sikorskytė, Egidijus Stancikas, Artūras Sužiedėlis, Dainius Svobonas, Danas Vaitėkaitis, Vėja Rinkevičiūtė, Ugnė Žirgulė

• Production: Kaunas National Drama Theatre

• Partners of the performance: Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Polish Institute in Vilnius, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania