Comedy “Žaldokynė” phenomenon in the Lithuanian theatre

This master’s degree dissertation’s aim – analyse Borisas Dauguvietis play’s “Žaldokynė” production history and comedy expression by revealing the reasons behind the play’s popularity and touching on the consistent evaluation criteria on humour placed by Lithuanians. Study object – comedy expression Borisas Dauguvietis play “Žaldokynė”. The study involves observations on the evolution of comedy in the Lithuanian Theatre, definitions about laughter subject, laughter object, comedy concepts. Interfaces and differences between traditional (classical) and modern comedy are discussed. While analysing mentioned aspects, it is trying to discover how the understanding of humour by the Lithuanian nation is changing during the existence of “Žaldokynė”. To reveal the popularity phenomenon of Boris Dauguvietis play “Žaldokynė”, which has been shown on Lithuanian stages for more than 60 years, the dramaturgy, directing and acting phenomenon manifestations in the play are analysed. It is trying to find out how “Žaldokynė” phenomenal popularity is being perceived by experts directly related to the creation of the play: actor, who played Motiejus Sapiega (violinist in the country) Adolfas Večerskis in “Žaldokynė”, directed by Kazimiera Kymantaitė in 1975 and Jonas Buziliauskas, who directed “Žaldokynė” at the Žemaitė drama theatre in Telšiai in 2008. Moreover, the study shows the author’s impressions from the play “Žaldokynė” performed at the “Vyšnių festival” in Žagarė in 2010