Stavrogin – Arnoldas Jalianiauskas. Photo by Dmitrij Matvejev

Those who don’t believe that the novel by Fiodor Dostoevsky could be well squeezed into a couple of hours light genre show, should definitely see this though not the most successful performance but surely the one of solid scope by master of direction Jonas Vaitkus. In one evening you’ll get a rare possibility to see the entire team of actors of various generations – the main trumps of current Lithuanian theatre - raised by Jonas Vaitkus.

Even the duration of a performance can serve as advertising emphasis: with intervals - six hours. Has anyone ever mentioned that a performance cannot last that long? Yes, this is the longest performance that has ever been staged in Lithuania (…). However, some ten years ago The Devils by Lev Dodin in Saint Petersburg continued for nine hours. And people used to go and see the performance on weekends and to “stay a while with Dostoevsky” or so they used to say. They were interested and that is the only category that justifies any duration.

By Vaidas Jauniškis. Grimaces of Tired Theatre. Verslo žinios. 06-05-2005

The director creates morose, godless encirclement of characters in different colours – in contrasting and bright theatre strokes, where not only being but also routine spring to life; where seemingly peaceful and quiet people gathered around a steaming “samovar” placed on the table covered with white tablecloth start plotting the plan of murdering God.

By Rasa Vasinauskaitė. Gone with Demons (Lith. Demonų pradangintieji). 7 Meno dienos, 20-05-2005

Marya Lebyadkina - expressed extraordinarily, simply, spiritually and extremely bravely by Viktorija Kuodytė; Matriosha of highly harmonious plastic form and matter by Birutė Marcinkevičiūtė – a small, red spider tangling everything and everybody up in blood-red balls of thread and strands; old women (by Diana Anevičiūtė, Neringa Bulotaitė, Regina Garuolytė, Vitalija Mockevičiūtė) in shawls and skirts appearing as if from underground with eyes full of sorrow and womanish knowledge…

By Vlada Kalpokaitė. Apocalypse of a Small Red Spider (Lith. Mažo raudono vorelio apokalipsė). Literatūra ir menas. 06-05-2005

It’s been a long time since I last saw indifference towards crime revealed with so much pain. There’s a feeling that this lengthy torturing of spectators with theatre has been necessary for Vaitkus in order to show threatening banality of evil.

By Tadeusz Kornas. Songs of Sirens (Lith. Sirenų giesmės). Kultūros barai, No.11, 2005