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Oskaras KorshunovasTheater director
Country:
 Lithuania |
Content:
Biography of Oskaras Koršunovas
Oskaras Koršunovas, a Lithuanian theater director, was born on March 6, 1969, in Vilnius, Lithuania. He began his career as a theatrical director in 1994 at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, where he obtained a master's degree in directing. During his studies, he already established himself in the most important theaters in Lithuania, staging a trilogy of plays such as "Being There" (1990), "The Old Woman" (1992), and "Hello, Sonia, Happy New Year" (1994), based on the works of Daniil Kharms and Alexander Vvedensky, Russian avant-garde writers of the 20th century.
Unique Theatrical Language
From the early stages, Oskaras stood out with his unique theatrical language and a new modern approach to stage performances, which theater critics considered as an inevitable emergence of a new theater. Together with like-minded colleagues, Oskaras founded the renowned repertoire theater, Oskaras Koršunovas Theatre (OKT) in 1998, with the aim of distancing themselves from the artistic reality of that time and creating a new reality based on contemporary theatrical language. Their intention was to find new ways of communicating with the audience by implementing contradictory ideas. His belief that contemporary plays should reflect the present and predict the future as a warning element attracted the attention of the public. Oskaras became the first director to explore independent, post-communist Lithuanian society, its relationships, and conflicts, and continued to seek new forms and methods of communication, going beyond the traditional understanding of theater.
Recognition and Awards
For his work, Oskaras received the National Prize of Lithuania in the field of culture and art in 2002, the Europe Theatre Prize "New Theatrical Realities" in 2002, the Meyerhold Prize in 2010, and the national "Golden Cross" award in three different years (2004, 2011, and 2012). He has directed over 70 productions, including Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in 2008, "The Lower Depths" in 2010, which was recognized as the best production of 2010, and "Miranda" based on Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" in 2012, which gained worldwide recognition and received three national "Golden Cross" awards in 2012: for best direction, best lead actress (Aijida Gintautaitė), and best composer (Gintaras Sodeika). Oskaras Koršunovas Theatre has toured among well-known Lithuanian theaters and created projects that have been staged in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Australia, Japan, China, Israel, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, and the United States. He has also participated in festivals worldwide, including the prestigious Edinburgh International Festival and Avignon Festival. Additionally, Oskaras has been awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas and the honorary title of Knight of the French Order of Arts and Literature, as well as the "European New Realities" prize.
