The Mousetraps

What is a crime? Which is the greater crime: murder or suicide? Is a lack of love a crime? How can you honour your father and mother if you have experienced a lack of unconditional love yourself? What should you choose: justice or mercy? Seen through the eyes of a young person coming of age, this subjective narrative seeks above all to establish and understand the motives and circumstances behind a murder, and to expose all possible culprits. It deconstructs and deliberately reimagines the classic story of Hamlet, inviting the audience to look at it from a different angle. Here, mousetraps become spiritual traps, and those caught in them cannot avoid confronting themselves: for some, it will be devastating; for others, cleansing, and perhaps even a source of hope. The Keistuolių teatras repertoire includes director Ieva Stundžytė’s productions for young audiences that address uncomfortable and controversial themes, such as M. McDonagh’s “The Pillowman” and M. Norman’s “’night, Mother.” They have attracted considerable audience interest, so this time the aim of “The Mousetraps” is to speak openly and examine family relationships, raise difficult questions about conflicts between generations, and seek possible ways for people to understand one another.