Žygimantas Kudirka’s Meta-Performance “50 Ways to Destroy the Illusion”

2026-01-26

On January 28 at Menų spaustuvė, LIAA member, artist, and writer Žygimantas Kudirka presents the ritual meta-performance “50 Ways to Destroy the Illusion.”

This performance explores the creative process and the illusion produced by theatre: the actor’s relationship to the character and theatre’s relationship to reality. It is a meta-performance in which spectators watch spectators, and actors play actors—Augustė and Augustė, and Povilas and Povilas. The work is freely inspired by the writings of French avant-garde artist Antonin Artaud; the title is an interpretation of Artaud’s sketchbook “50 Drawings to Murder Magic.”

Can you turn your back on reality and dance carelessly through life? Are there no windows in a theatre hall because theatre refuses to see reality? Or, on the contrary, is theatre reality’s “twin”—a distorted and intensified reflection that reveals hidden, instinctual truths of human existence?

With this work, we aim to awaken the audience’s dormant consciousness and lead it into the most secret thickets of fears, hallucinations, dreams, and unrealised desires—so that, having passed through them, it may be cleansed and acquire a new quality.

Duration: approximately 70 minutes

Playwright and Director: Žygimantas Kudirka

Costumes and Set Design: Elvita Brazdylytė and Ugnė Tamuliūnaitė

Soundtrack: Demetrio Castellucci

Actors: Augustė Šimulynaitė and Augustė Pociūtė, Povilas Jatkevičius and Povilas Barzdžius

Voice Actors: Phil Von, Elena Veleckaitė

Lighting Designer: Vilius Vilutis

Video Editing: Domantas Storukas

Magic Consultant: Justinas Malinauskas

Typeface Designer: Gailė Pranckūnaitė

Producer: Vytautė Brazdylytė

Funding: The production was funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture

 

A discount is available for LTMKS members. Please get in touch for a discount code.