My first role was in a play called "Early Spring", directed by my class teacher. We ninth graders and some tenth graders performed it for the graduates at the end of the school year. It was 1974 - their spring... For me, of course, it was a challenge. And it was only because I was acting here that I dared to join the drama club in my first year at the Veterinary Academy. During the five years I was there, Antanas Tarasevičius, an actor from Kaunas Drama Theatre, introduced us to the alphabet of theatre and staged some really good plays with us. The most memorable ones were "Hey, People" by V. Sarojan, where I played the role of the Boy, and a poetry play based on the poem "Nine Brothers" by Justinas Marcinkevičius, which was banned as anti-Soviet after the competition held in Kaunas, even though we won the prizes.
After my studies, when I returned to my homeland to work, I immediately started to take part in a drama collective of the Tauragnai House of Culture, which was led by the director Vygantas Varneckas. Those were the days of artistic agitbrigades, and we used to put on quite beautiful plays. Vygantas founded the "Moko" theatre in Tauragnai, which is now directed by Loreta Juškėnienė. In recent years, I no longer play at the Moko Theatre, because there is no time left.
I came to the Zalaiduņi Theatre unexpectedly. I met my colleague Povilas Stumbris in Utena, whom I met when I was studying at the Veterinary Academy, where he came to play when I was in my fifth year. Povilas happily told me that he had started acting in the Utena "Žaliaduonii" theatre and that the historical drama "Daumantas" was being finished. At the end of the conversation, I asked Povilas to ask the director Alma Eigerdiene to ask her to give me a cameo role in next year's new play. Two days later, director Alma calls me and says - "Alvydas, save me, the premiere of "Daumantas" is in two weeks, one actor has dropped out, maybe you can replace him". I was, of course, shocked. I went and read the role of Karaim and decided to try, although I had doubts about my ability because of the short time before the premiere. It was very uncomfortable that the rehearsals were almost every day just for me, the others were almost ready. That was the beginning. Alma Eigerdiene used to put on a play every year.
When Šarūnas started directing "Žalaiduonji", the themes of the performances changed, the work with the roles became deeper, more creative, more difficult and more interesting (or maybe it's just me).
Well, now, with the change of circumstances, when Šarūnas, and together with the actors, last year we left the Utena Culture Centre and became the independent Utena Chamber Theatre, everything has changed even more. We have to taste the bread of amateur theatre on some level. What used to be entertainment now becomes a job that you can't do just any way. Theatre has become a part of life, and the internal responsibility for the overall result, the quality, has increased tenfold.
It's an interesting evolution. The more difficult the role, the more interesting it is, the more you get that life experience that you don't have to scrape your knees for.
Of all the roles I've played, the most difficult to achieve and the most interesting was the role of the Old Man in the play Behind The Door. Maybe it was also because it was the first time that I understood the importance of a good director who sees so deeply, who at the most difficult times shows me those points of support by which, if you grab hold of them, you can soar into undiscovered worlds.
