Šolomas Zelmanavičius „ATSIVERTĖLIS. GRAFAS POTOCKIS IŠ VILNIAUS“ (Spektaklio meno vadovas J. Vaitkus Rež. A. Vidžiūnas)

Sholom Zelmanovich

The Convert. Count Potocki of Vilnius

The Convert. Count Potocki of Vilnius is a three-act composite libretto by Jonas Vaitkus, based on the artist and writer Sholom Zelmanovich’s dramatic legend Ger Tzedek. Count Potocki of Vilna, works of visual art, as well as written and oral sources of Jewish culture.

Ger tzedek is a Hebrew term for a convert to the Jewish faith. The convert Count Potocki is partly a historical figure – a man burnt at the stake for his beliefs in Vilnius 275 years ago. In his play, Zelmanovich adapted an old Jewish legend about a rich Christian youth who converted to Judaism. This tale has become an integral part of Jewish folklore not only in Vilnius, but also throughout Eastern Europe.

There are several distinct layers in the production: the love between Count Potocki and Judith, and the duality of the nobleman’s nature (two souls live within him). The drama is accompanied by a strong desire to self-purify, to repent for sins, to strive for innocence. The count is a truth-seeker, and confession becomes his constant leitmotif. Fire cleanses best, but in this case, it acts as an executioner, a punisher. Could we still die for our convictions – and would it be worth it? Where is the line between self-sacrifice, bigotry and naivety? And, more generally, isn’t the pursuit of purity, modesty and moderation at odds with the ideology of “good life” that prevails today?

Zelmanovich builds a vibrant Jewish world in the play, revealing this nation’s history, religion and traditions. The lively, colourful and mystical scenes dramatically highlight the characters’ states of mind. Meanwhile, the tragic fate of the nobleman, who renounced everything for the sake of his faith, highlights society’s anxiety and cruelty, intertwined with deep piety. In the performance, languages (Yiddish, Lithuanian, Russian, Hebrew) clash and jostle – as if in the streets of the long-faded Vilnius, witnessing an already lost civilisation.

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Sholom Zelmanovich (1898 – 1941?) is a Vilnius-born painter and writer. When the Polish army occupied Vilnius in 1919, Zelmanovich moved to Kaunas, where he worked as an assistant decorator at the State Theatre, designed sets and costumes for Kaunas Hebrew Theatre, held two major personal exhibitions, and was highly productive in general. Lithuanian journalists of the interwar period wrote not only about Zelmanovich’s work, but also about his adventures – the artist was an exceptional personality in the life of Kaunas’ bohemia. His eccentric sincerity attracted the public, making Zelmanovich a regular at various parties and get-togethers.

Kūrybinė grupė:
Spektaklio meno vadovas – Jonas Vaitkus
Režisierius – Albertas Vidžiūnas
Scenografijos ir šviesų dailininkas – Artūras Šimonis
Kostiumų dailininkė – Jolanta Rimkutė
Kompozitorė – Rita Mačiliūnaitė
Projekcijų autoriai –  Agnė Marcinkevičiūtė, Darius Budrys, Artūras Šimonis
Choreografė – Leokadija Dabužinskaitė
Režisieriaus padėjėja – Nadežda Pereverzeva

Spektaklyje vaidina:
Grafas Potockis, Abraomas Ben Abraomas – Ger cedekas – Maksim Tuchvatulin
Halevi – Viačeslav Lukjanov / Valentinas Krulikovskis
Judita – Aleksandra Metalnikova
Grafienė Potocki – Ger cedeko motina – Anžela Bizunovič
Iljos Rabinas – Dmitrij Denisiuk
Penuelis, Nepažįstamasis, Juokdarys – Aleksandr Agarkov
Kunigaikštis Sapiega – Jurij Ščiuckij
Sinagogos patarnautojas, Parnesas – Sergej Zinovjev
Juditos žvaigždė – Jelena Juščenko
Pirmas berniukas – Jelena Ragimova
Antras berniukas – Božena Aleksandrovič
Pirmas kunigas – Telman Ragimov
Antras kunigas – Igoris Abramovičius
Sargybinis, miestelėnas – Vladimir Serov
Vilniaus Gaono pasiuntinys, Miestelėnas,  Dajanas Mozė – Artūras Aleksejevas
Šnipiškių duobkasys, Ivanas, Žydas – Vladimir Dorondov
Moteris – Liuda Gnatenko
Medžiotojai, Rabinai, Elgetos, Psalmių kalbėtojai – Nikolaj Antonov, Vidmantas Fijalkauskas, Aleksandr Kanajev, Artur Svorobovič
Choras, Miestelėnai, Balsai, Minia – Anžela Turčaninova (Anžela Bizunovič), Jevgenija Rusakova, Ievgeniia Gladi (Jevgenija Gladij), Vera Arefjeva (Vera Stasenia), Anastasiya Shpakouskaya (Anastasija Špakovskaja), Viktoriia  Aliukone (Viktorija Aliukonė-Mirošnikova), Jevgenija Karpikova, Jekaterina Makarova, Larisa Popova