Experience “Lilioma” – A Modern Production by Ildiko Gāšpāras at Daile Theater

Dailes “Lilioma” has been staged by the creative team, most of whom come from the homeland of the play’s author, Hungary. The audience of Daile Theater is already familiar with the work of the Hungarian director Ildiko Gāšpāras. In the 2020/2021 season, the production of Eugene Ionesco’s play “Rhinoceros” at her Daile Theater received the Gambler’s Night Award for visual image and became a significant event in the theater. This time, together with her team, the director has created a completely modern production version of “Lilioma” with an ambitious visual and technical approach for Latvian theaters. The production, together with the direction and stage solutions, creates a magnificent light and sound show. And, of course, the center of the show is the brilliant cast of the Daile Theater. The main roles are played by Lauris Dzelzītis (Liliom) and Dārta Daneviča (Julia). This will be “Lilioms”, which will surprise the viewer.

In the play, Liliom is the manager of the gambling hall, who always has luck next to him, so not a single gamer wants to sit close to him. Even the shadow of his own loneliness does not darken the brilliance around Liliom – he is always able to be quite good and bring joy to others, but his heart is empty. Only a simple girl’s affection and loyalty to the legendary Liliom forces him to give up his brilliance in order to gain something even more dangerous to his nature – love. The merry-go-round of life always offers him to throw the next circle, then the next one again, until heaven decides what to do with such irreparable shamelessness. “Lilioms”, staged in the Daile Theatre, is a deeply personal story about love, misunderstanding and the pain caused by it.

Ildiko Gāšpāras explains: “This story is about the inability to show emotions – both Liliom’s and Julia’s inability. In it, one can feel deep sympathy for how these people’s irresponsible and fatal decisions ruin their lives. In my opinion, the main problem in “Liliom” is that , that none of the main characters can say “I love you” or show it, and this is tragic. We should not forget the circumstances in which Molnar wrote this play; he wanted to ask for forgiveness from his wife Margit Ves, whom he had wronged for a long time. Also in this production I wanted to create an atmosphere where you could constantly feel the presence of potential brutality.”

Lighting solutions and their scores, as well as the laconic scenography, are especially important in the show. The director’s idea, after getting to know the Daile Theater stage, was to create a scenography that strives for depth.

“The first thought for Lilioma was about a tunnel or a corridor – like a passage that connects Life and Death, because this element – dying and coming back to earth – is at the heart of the plot. I imagined a hallway of doors, a place where you are never home . Maybe it’s a fragment of a labyrinth, where you always turn right and left, looking for the right path. In “Liliom”, I perceived that perhaps the main motive is Liliom’s eternal being on the road, always looking for something”, says the director.

Cast: Lauris Dzelzītis, Dārta Daneviča, Ieva Segliņa, Dainis Gaidelis, Anete Krasovska, Aldis Siliņš, Gints Grāvelis, Olga Dreģe, Lidija Pupure, Imants Strads, Lauris Subatnieks, Indra Briķe, Juris Strenga, Milena Miškēviča.

The production is created by an international creative team: director Ildikó Gáspár, playwright Matīss Gricmanis, scenographer Lili Ižakas (Lili Isak). The lights, which are brought to life by the lighting artist Oskars Pauliņš in the scenography and direction of the show, are of special importance in this production. Costume designer – Luca Szabados, video artist – Andras Juhasz, choreographers – Veronika Szabo and Ildikó Gáspár, assistant choreographer – Inga Krasovska, composer – Flora Lili Matisa Hair). Translators – Matīss Gritzmanis and Kintia Rogers. Assistant Director – Kinty Rogers.

photo" style="background:#c5c7c9;top:auto"/>Art theater performance “Lilioms”. Photo: Marko Rass/ Fine Arts Theater