Modernistai prieš modernistus
Modernists versus modernists

Summary/Abstract: The Lithuanian professional drama theatre in its first decade was a stage for several debates between traditional realists and modernists. Theatre reforms initiated by A. Oleka-Žilinskas in 1929 were at first opposed by followers of traditional theatre. The discussion on theatre ideologies in the magazine "Naujoji Romuva" and the harsh critique of the public theatre reforms could be considered the first debate in which the arguing parties were not tradition upholders and modernists, but rather two revolutionary movements openly determined to modernize Lithuanian theatre.The "homeopathic" way to modernization proposed by the practical director A. Oleka-Žilinskas could be called a view of reforms rather typical of a person of his kind.One of the key ideas of the "Naujoji Romuva" Catholic modernist movement was to prompt people to face the West. Theatre art is regarded as a social phenomenon, a tool to raise the consciousness of people.The "Naujoji Romuva" magazine's support of the theatre restructuring program changed into an opposition to the reforms carried out by A. Oleka-Žilinskas'. The ideological questions (nationality, cultural orientation) raised in the discussion overpowered matters having to do with creativity.The possibilities to compromise or resolve the issues between the two modernist movements were not made full use of. Personal issues and a conflict of generations influenced the discussion to a certain degree.The debate between two different modernist movements: its repercussions and its influence on the future development of Lithuanian theatre.

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