The action of "Wind in the Willows" takes you to the 16th century, where the Lithuanian-Polish army is waiting for a battle with the Russian army on the border of Livonia for the land of Livonia. Saint Casimir together with Angel descends to earth for a short time to study man and his earthly life. But their stay takes time. King Žygimantas Augustus of Lithuania and Poland is grieving over the death of Queen Barbara, the soldiers are suffering from apathy, poverty, hunger, disbelief and fatigue, and Copernicus has recently discovered that the Earth is no longer the center of the universe. In the eyes of a disappointed person, the earth has become a dirty corner, where two people are farther apart than two constellations. Kazimierz tries to fill people's souls with faith, give them spiritual strength and restore the king's confidence in his own strength, but he experiences that people only want to listen to themselves. Despite everything, their language is as beautiful in its transience as the wind in the willows. All of them are destined to die in tomorrow's battle, but Kazimierz realizes that they are not ready for death and prays to God to postpone the battle for at least one day. Will his prayer be answered? Will a miracle happen and will the people be worthy of that miracle? Kazimierz prays and waits. "Angela, can there be anything more terrifying than the silence of the universe and people's inability to understand?", asks Kazimieras.
Wind in the Willows" is a play by Algirdas Landsbergis, a little-known expatriate writer in Lithuania, written in the USA in 1956. Director Gytis Padegimas presents to the audience a forgotten or not fully discovered author who devoted almost his entire life across the Atlantic to modern post-war Lithuanian literature. Algirdas Landsbergis wrote novels, short stories, plays, journalism, edited the writings of Antanas Škėmas, translated Lithuanian literary works into English, took part in the "Voice of America" and "Laisvosios Europos" radio programs broadcast to Lithuania, was the president of the International PEN Club Writers in Exile Center, USA Member of the Playwrights Guild.
In the drama "Wind in the Willows", the imagination of A. Landsbergis is revealed, creating paradoxical intersections of existence and historical nostalgia. The playwright, who represents the post-war young generation, brought up by existentialist philosophers, examines the spiritual conflict - how to live in the face of historical catastrophes, raises the issues of meaninglessness and temporality of life. In dialogues of intellectual content, clear poetic intonation, characteristic of Lithuanian historical dramas, has been preserved.
"This play is very Wilder because, like 'Our Town' and 'The Long Christmas Dinner,' it's about ordinary people whose destinies are strangely intertwined in the face of war." Now that we are feeling strong geopolitical tensions, I think this play is very relevant. In addition, the texts of Algirdas Landsbergis are like strengthening the immunity of the Lithuanian consciousness", the creator and director of the play is convinced.
