„Queen Bona”

Bona – a play based on the novel Queen Bona
by Ukrainian writer Halina Auderska

Performance annotation

Queen Bona is a theatrical story about one of the most influential rulers of 16th-century Europe – Bona Sforza, Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania. On stage come alive the dramatic experiences of Bona’s final years: visions, the burden of guilt and ambition, the paradoxes of power and motherhood.

The Queen recalls her struggle for the throne of her son Sigismund Augustus, constant conflicts with magnates, personal losses, and the shadow of suspicion. The audience witnesses her legendary relationship with Barbara Radziwiłł, accusations surrounding the deaths of young queens, and the unquenchable flame of her thirst for power.

The performance balances between reality and hallucinations: Bona converses with her servant Papakoda, with the ghosts of the dead, with herself, and with God. It is a portrait of a strong yet lonely ruler, raising the question – can power bring peace if the soul remains restless?

A plot full of tension, passion, revenge, and jealousy leaves more questions than answers:
Why did Sigismund Augustus’s first wife die? Why were there so many intrigues between Bona and the Radziwiłł family? Did Barbara Goštautaitė–Radziwiłł truly seduce the Queen’s son? And did Bona really poison her?.. And who is the mysterious Papakoda?

History lives as long as we live! Vivat!

Cast:
Bona – Rasa Vasiliauskienė
Papakoda – Algimantas Rašimas

Playwright and Director: Andrėja Stulginskienė
Video Editing and Filming: Alanas Augustas Buivydas (July 7, 2024 – the day of Sigismund Augustus’s death)
Lighting: Julius Kančiauskis
Partner: Kelmė Small Theatre
Premiere: 2016, Naujoji Akmenė