Teatras 47 blends paganism with folk art

  • 2007-08-15
  • By Kimberly Kweder

STRANGE AS FOLK: One of the colorful folk masks that Mataitiene and her husband put together in the 1980s.

 VILNIUS - In most theater performances, where so much of the audience's attention is focused on characters and plot, it's difficult to draw close and examine vivid scenery and costume design.
It's a dilemma that's very familiar to Dalia Mataitiene, an internationally recognized artist who has been a fixture in Lithuania's art community since the early 1960s.
"The theater is not an art created by a lone individual for a similar loner. It is always a vortex of the all-embracing life, surrounded by glory and disgrace. Glory means the attention of the crowd, while disgrace is the yearning for recognition, and without any delay," a book by art critic Helmutas Sabasevicius quotes her as saying.

Vilnius residents can now witness a bit of that glory as Mataitiene's paintings, theater and costume designs are the the subject of an exhibition called Teatras 47 currently running at the Lithuanian Theater, Music and Film Museum.
Regina Lopiene, director of the museum, said that she and Mataitiene spent three years discussing the project and then two months on preparations before the grand opening on July 20. The eight-room collection was put together thanks to a grant of 5,000 litas from the Ministry of Culture.
An avid theater-goer herself, Lopiene said she witnessed Dalia's work transform the stage in a production of Friedrich Schiller's play, "Maria Stuart" at the Lithuanian National Drama Theater in 2004.
"The scenery and costumes helped the actors because it was all in harmony and beautiful," she said.
In one of the exhibition rooms, Mary, Queen of Scots is adorned by a handmade shiny silver dress with an intricate lace collars and cuffs, faux pearls and fancy hair trimmings. Her regal wardrobe is only one of the many 16th century royal court designs that were brought to life on stage.

Those who are familiar with Mataitiene's work know she moves beyond the classical, traditional rules of costume-making and scenery.
She also blends paganism and Lithuanian folklore with abstract art to create various themes.
"Valdovas," a theatrical performance directed by Aurelija Ragauskaite at the Siauliai Drama Theater, represented the 14th century in unconventional ways. For this work, Mataitene wove linen into small ropes which were linked together to form heavy, long chains that stretched from head to toe.
"This play [meant] to show that paganism was good, and not to change it to Christianity," Theater Department Head, Aukse Kapociute said.

"Lithuanians strongly believe in harmony with nature so that is why the ropes were used for the costumes," she added.
As for the folk art, Mataitiene's paintings became an inspiration for the first Lithuanian ballet film, "Egle 's Queen of the Grass Snakes."
"She takes the essence of spiritual Lithuania," Kapociute said.
Mataitiene, together with her husband, Povilas Mataitis, brought life to the Lithuanian Folk Theatre in the 1980s with joyful, vibrant fabrics, textures and flowers in uplifting, cheerful tones.
"In Soviet times, a lot of art was pushed to the side, so they created a niche 's the life of the citizens living in all the times from early to modern Lithuania," Lopiene said.

This work she did for the Lithuanian Folk Theatre has traveled to many countries: Australia, New Zealand and India to name a few. Now it has come home and is on display at Teatras 47.
The "Maria Stuart" costumes will be temporarily removed for the upcoming performance season this fall, but the rest of the exhibition will stay open until September 2008.

Dalia Mataitiene, Teatras 47
Lithuanian Theater, Music and Film Museum
Vilniaus 41
Through Sept.1, 2008
Entrance: 4 litas