NaME / at HoME Rebirth of a House

Kaunas - October 2018

a Change / Exchange workshop collaboration between local artists, students, and longtime company members. It was an exploration of an old villa in the historical center of Kaunas, the former capital city of Lithuania, a long-neglected house No. 5 V. Putvinskio Street, was the location and topic for the Theater Festival HOUSE in Kaunas, created by Paulina Nešukaitytė and Renata Bartusevičiūtė, the theme and title of the festival are inspired by our previous collaboration in Vilnius SOS Children’s Village. The house is rich in history: it was home to the Tarabildos family of famous Lithuanian artists, graphic designers, yogis, and free thinkers. Now the house was about to have new inhabitants, the family of Pediatrition and toy collector Tomas Biržietis, Director of P. Mažylis Maternity Hospital, was about to move in, while the house is awaiting renovation, the owners agreed to let the festival take place there.

We were able to do research in the half-ruined home, found evidence from Soviet era reconstructions. We also did research with Dr. Biržietis’ family and toy collection at their current home, and interviewed the only surviving member of the Tarabildos family Ramon, who had lived at that house as a young boy and had not been back since. We were able to have him at the premiere! The performance explored the different layers of past, present, and future of the home through video and sound installation, performance, and interaction in 9 different rooms of the house.

A Change / Exchange project in cooperation with the first edition of the Theater Festival HOUSE, in Kaunas Lithuania. The name and theme of this sites specific festival are inspired by HoME theater’s DoMA / at HoME, the co-founder of this festival Paulina Nešukaitytė, collaborated on HoME in Vilnius.

https://www.namaskurti.lt/en/

Artistic team: Howard Lotker, Daniela Voračková Cristina Maldonado, Paulina Nešukaitytė, Eglė Dambrauskaitė, Andrius Stakelė, Arnis Aleinikovas, Andrius Stakelė