Mama Cat

The creators of the 2012 production “Mama Cat” were nominated for the Golden Stage Cross as Best Production for Children. * Directed by Evaldas Jaras and based on Chilean writer Luis Sepúlveda’s book “The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly,” the production “Mama Cat” has drawn enormous interest ever since its premiere in 2011, with the State Small Theatre of Vilnius filled to capacity at every performance. Intended for children aged five and up, the production introduces young audiences to a real mafia—or, more precisely, a wild gang of cats. They are like prototypes of characters from the most famous mafia films, living by rules and codes of their own devising, each with a particular status and duties. Most importantly, every one of them has a sense of humour. In an apparently ordinary courtyard between apartment buildings, by a tall brick wall, utterly unbelievable things happen: a gang of fat cats, lazy and pampered by their “mafia” lifestyle, finds a young seagull chick, and suddenly their whole lives are turned upside down... How should we act when we encounter an unfamiliar environment and way of seeing the world? Should we change and adapt to a different way of life, or try to change others? Or perhaps we should strive to give everyone the chance to remain unique and individual? How can a seagull learn to fly when her mother is Zorbas, a fat cat who likes nothing better than lying on the balcony and basking in the sun? How will Zorbas respond to this challenge? How will the other cats in the courtyard react to his choice? Will the young seagull learn to fly? And ultimately, how does sharing your life with another change you inside? What wonderful qualities of character might you discover in yourself, despite never having suspected you possessed them...