Patina

Actress NOMEDA BĖČIŪTĖ was nominated for the Golden Stage Cross (2023) in the Best Actress category for her role as Mother in the play “Patina”.

*Patina — a thin green, brown or blue film on the surface of copper, brass or bronze objects, formed by moisture or by special treatment with oxidising agents.*

An early spring morning. The sky is overcast. A family is getting ready to sit down for breakfast, but one son is late. How can he allow himself to do that? After all, certain rules must be followed at home: don’t be late, don’t hide anything, speak at the right time and be quiet at the right time. The family obeys these rules, and everyone who crosses the threshold must obey them too.

Virginija Rimkaitė’s play “Patina” features people who are closest to one another, yet their formal, cold manner of communicating reveals that the playwright is telling us about family relationships in crisis. At the centre of the play is Mother, who creates a myth of the harsh world beyond the walls of the home and, in contrast, an illusion of a safe home. But here, safety is synonymous with unlimited control over family members. The elder son, Henrikas, has a congenital heart condition and cannot boast excellent social skills, so we watch his absurdly comic attempts to form relationships with women whom Mother selects as suitable to become his wives and carers. The younger son, Albertas, is present almost unnoticed, his silence undoubtedly concealing something. The events of a single day in the play lead to the dramatic consequences of a revolt against Mother’s system.

The production’s director, Eglė Švedkauskaitė, says she is intrigued by the world Mother creates, in which the other characters gradually become hostages: “Being as merciless to herself as she is to others, Mother protects the myth she has created about family well-being and values. Family relationships have always been a relevant subject for society: the family changes with the times, bringing ruptures and conflicts between people with different beliefs and between generations. In this production, we will talk about reality becoming distorted, when family values turn into a justification for cruelty.”

Premiere: October 6 and 7, 2023. Reviews: Funded by: