“Legacy”
The word legacy should subconsciously lead us to the verbs to remain and to leave behind…
Unfortunately, very often, all too often, when parents or loved ones pass away, relatives cannot divide the inheritance. And not because there are millions at stake, but very often simply out of principle… because someone never apologized, never reconciled…
During such quarrels, people remind each other of old grievances… they place imaginary scales on the table and begin to weigh even words, visits, weeding in the garden, caring for parents, coughs, gifts — everything is measured and re-measured in money, and so on. Such is life, and such is reality.
This real-life story “Legacy” (script and direction by Andrėja Stulginskienė) was presented by actors from Naujoji Akmenė — Rasa Vasiliauskienė and Algimantas Rašimas, performing the roles of sister and brother.
Sister Aldona, driven out of her home by her husband, returns to her childhood house after more than 20 years. Her brother carries grievances… not about property, but about the fact that Aldona couldn’t even manage to come back for their mother’s funeral.
Excerpt from the performance:
Virgutis: “Mother remained waiting at the window, staring into the distance through the curtains, always adjusting her festive kerchief… because maybe now… maybe today… the stray daughter would return… And what could I do? How could I help? Only be there… only be there… with the same letters read over and over, written a decade ago… with the same photographs of your little one… the apple tree branches have been cut away…”
Will they manage to talk again, to trust, and to open their hearts to each other?
Will they be able to become once more the children who ran and played in the same yard?..
All their quarrel is silently watched by an old apple tree…
The team behind this life-inspired story:
- Costume designer Marina Bakienė (who created and gifted the costumes to the actors),
- Lighting designer Rimantas Kunickas,
- Voices in the audio recordings: Viktorija Rimkutė, Deividas Jučas, and actress Justina Kasiulytė,
- Hand-carved Rūpintojėlis (Christ in sorrow) by folk artist and sculptor Virginijus Jurgilas,
- Partner: Akmenė District Municipality Public Library.
We are grateful to our loyal friends who contributed to making this project possible: Klaudija Pušinova, Vitalija Žakienė.
