Mama Cat

The creators of the 2012 production “Mama Cat” were nominated for the Golden Stage Cross in the Best Production for Children category.

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 attracted great interest ever since its premiere in 2011, with the State Small Theatre of Vilnius auditorium packed for every performance. Intended for children aged five and up, the play introduces young audiences to a real mafia—or, more precisely, a wild gang of cats. They are like prototypes of characters from famous mafia films, living by their own rules and codes, each with a status and duties of their own. Most importantly, none of them lacks a sense of humour.

In what seems at first to be an ordinary courtyard between apartment blocks, beside a tall brick wall, extraordinary things happen: a gang of fat cats, made lazy by their “mafia” lifestyle, finds a young seagull, and suddenly their whole world is turned upside down. How should we act when faced with an unfamiliar environment and a different worldview? Should we change and adapt to a different way of life, or try to change others? Or perhaps we should strive to ensure that everyone can remain unique and individual? How can a seagull learn to fly when her mother is Zorbas, a fat cat who likes nothing more than lying on the balcony and basking in the sun? How will Zorbas take on this challenge? How will the other courtyard cats react to his choice? Will the young seagull learn to fly? And, ultimately, how does sharing your life with someone else change you inside? What wonderful qualities might you discover in yourself, even though until recently you had no idea they were there?