A new theatrical production, Seven Solitudes, is based on the literary works of Lithuanian-born French author Oscar Milošs (1877–1939). The adaptation for the stage was created by Charles Chemin, a longtime creative partner and dramatist of the late Robert Wilson, who also serves as a co-director on the project. Following Wilson’s death, Chemin took over leadership of the production and guided rehearsals in Kaunas according to the director’s established vision.
Robert Wilson became acquainted with the operate of the poet, mystic, and diplomat Oscar Milošs at the suggestion of the Kaunas Theatre and accepted the offer to create a new work. The production of Seven Solitudes is a co-production with the Wilama Horzyca Theatre in Toruń, where it is scheduled to premiere in May of this year.
Last year, Wilson and his team visited the Kaunas National Drama Theatre twice – in January and June – for preparations for Seven Solitudes. The script was completed before Wilson’s death, and by last summer, the Kaunas Theatre had a clear understanding of the set design, costumes, makeup, and music. In June, Wilson worked with the Lithuanian actors he had selected, running through all the scenes of the upcoming production.
Seven Solitudes will be the second production by Robert Wilson to appear in the Kaunas Theatre’s repertoire. His staging of Dorian premiered there on October 1, 2022.
This new work represents Wilson’s final artistic statement, and farewell. Seven Solitudes promises to demonstrate the enduring power of poetry, combining Milošs’s poetry, prose, fairy tales, dramatic and metaphysical works, which pose existential questions about humanity and its place in the universe, and explore themes of love, loneliness, death, the passage of time, and the search for light and harmony. The actors portray characters that reveal the complexity, beauty, and absurdity of the human soul.
The poet is at the heart of the play, and audiences will follow his creation of an imagined world and the overcoming of its boundaries. On his journey, the poet encounters doubts and wonders, leading his companions toward a freedom accessible only to poets, while his own destination is eternity. The production also reflects parallels with Wilson’s unique artistic world, offering insight into his creative cosmos.
A scene from Robert Wilson’s production of Seven Solitudes. Photo – Lūsija Jansha
Seven Solitudes is one of two major stage works completed posthumously by the director. On February 5 of this year, Robert Wilson’s staging of Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde premiered at the Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Ljubljana. The production will also be seen in Brussels, Madrid, and Wrocław in the coming years.
Performances of Seven Solitudes in Kaunas will seize place from March 20–22, 27–29, and May 24–28, with English subtitles provided.
Information: dramosteatras.lt, robertwilson.com
