1972

Kipras Mašanauskas
1972
In memoriam Romas Kalanta

Rock Opera in 2 Acts
Fabula Goda Simonaitytė
Lyrics Arnas Ališauskas
Orchestrations – Jievaras Jasinskis

Music Director and Conductor Jonas Janulevičius
Director Kęstutis Stasys Jakštas
Asistant director Viktorija Streiča
Set Designer Gintaras Makarevičius
Costumes and Make-up Designer Julija Skuratova
Choreographer Stefanija Nosovaitė
Light Designer Audrius Jankauskas
Chorus master Rasa Vaitkevičiūtė
Conductor’s assistant Mantas Jančiauskas

Opening night on May 14, 2022
Running time 2.30 hours (including interval)

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May 14, 1972, in front of the Kaunas State Musical Theatre 19-year-old Romas Kalanta in protest against the Soviet regime pouring petroleum set himself on fire and cried-out “Freedom for Lithuania!”. In 2022, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this event, Kaunas State Musical Theatre presents world premiere of a new stage work – the rock opera “1972” about the events of so-called Kaunas Spring.
The victim of silent, perhaps even a bit depressed hero, exploring the environment, absorbing the mood of that time, encouraged others to rebel against the Soviet government in peaceful protests. In the first lines of such protests were standing young people, later scrupulously numbered in photos taken by the KGB. Most of these young people were not even twenty years old. Some of them were arrested and ten of them were prosecuted. These people belonged to the informal youth of 1970’s Kaunas, who expressed their opposition to the oppression of the Soviet regime. There were many hippies’ culture signs in their activities and hobbies – long hair, colourful clothes and accessories, loud radios on their shoulders and a love to alternative rock.
They often found themselves on the margins of society, being criticized, experiencing psychological or physical law enforcement violence, without access to education, working unskilled jobs. It was integrated into their identity – uneducated, but sophisticated, not musicians, but lovers to play, not poets, but lovers to write – a way to be if not against the system, then at least beyond it. Not perfect enough, but bright and bold enough, led by an idealism and a desire for an unrestricted life, they have become the ones, who not only talk, but also act.
And they are the axis of this play. The personality of Romas Kalanta stays here more as a symbolic figure.