The center of the world depicted in "Under the Ice" is the conference hall. There is no love here, everyone only cares about productivity. The main character, business consultant Paulius Nieks, always feels pressured by others. The expectations of his family and colleagues constantly force Mr. Niekas to live like a trap. Step by step, the play tells the life of Mr. Nobody, where the workplace is the most important thing, and personal identity disappears, as Mr. Nobody is constantly required to be efficient and adapt. Is a balance between the individual and the needs of the organization/society possible under such conditions?
The author of the play, Falkas Richter, is one of the most important theater writers of his generation in Germany, his work is known and appreciated throughout Europe. In his plays, he analyzes the physical and mental condition of the individual and the general political situation in modern Western culture. F. Richter writes about the elite of the economic world, the way of thinking and activity of the people who belong to it, and the consequences of these people's activities. He is concerned with the ideologies of efficiency and economic growth and their impact on the lives of ordinary people. F. Richter's texts are experienced and contemplated, act as reality and cinema at the same time, can be considered both politics and poetry. In creating the play, the playwright used about 100 hours of documentary material, observing business consultants in action.
Artūras Areima: "People from Western culture are able to function very well in their professional field, but when they get into an unusual everyday situation, they can get completely lost. People become narrow and mechanized, forget simple, humane things. The profession consumes their lives. Some want to change something, but are afraid of losing what they already have. After all, if you are not rich today, you are not promising, then you are nothing. Because of work and careers, people forget their childhood dreams, and instead of following their inclinations, they make plans and live by them - doing what is necessary. This is how they get lost in their own lives and try to figure things out. I wonder if if this happens, a person can still manage to change something in his life".
