LMTA DOCTORAL STUDENTS: VAIDAS JAUNIŠKIS (THEATRE STUDIES)
Tuesday, 10 March, 2026, at 3:30 pm
LMTA Balcony Theatre (Gedimino pr. 42, Vilnius)
LMTA DOCTORAL STUDENTS: VAIDAS JAUNIŠKIS (THEATRE STUDIES)
Defense of the dissertation “(A)political Theatre Body: Sociocultural Aspects of 21st Century Lithuanian Performing Arts”
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ramunė Marcinkevičiūtė
The dissertation examines manifestations of political theater in 21st-century Lithuanian theater and their dynamics. Based on Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of capital and habitus, it analyzes changes in the cultural field that have enabled the emergence of the non-governmental sector, which is the largest promoter of socially active theater. Studies of postcolonial theories—the connections between places of memory, postmodernism, and postcolonialism—have highlighted universal models that also apply to the performing arts. Research has shown that the colonial past has had and continues to have a strong influence on the apolitical stance of artists. Artists of different generations and levels of recognition have different degrees of political engagement: socially engaged performances are increasingly being created by representatives of the younger generation. Creative methods also differ: older artists (Jonas Vaitkus, Oskaras Koršunovas, Gintaras Varnas) tend to rely more on themes offered by literary works and continue the traditions of directorial interpretive theater, while younger artists (Jonas Tertelis, Mantas Jančiauskas, Agnietė Lisičkinaitė) apply the principles of post-dramatic theater, performatively asserting their personal position.
Defense Council:
Doc. Dr. Ramunė Balevičiūtė, Chair (LMTA, Humanities, Art Studies H 003)
Prof. Dr. Dalia Satkauskytė (Vilnius University, humanities, philology H 004)
Prof. Dr. Rūta Stanevičiūtė-Kelmickienė (LMTA, humanities, art studies H 003)
Prof. Dr. Rasa Vasinauskaitė (Lithuanian Institute for Cultural Research, humanities, art studies H 003)
Dr. Edite Tisheizere (Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, Latvia)
Admission is free, and you are cordially invited!