Actor Criticizes Theater School System: "It Chills Me What's Happening"

Lithuanian actor Manto Vaitiekūnas has voiced strong criticism of the country's theater school system, describing its current state as deeply concerning and in need of significant reform. Vaitiekūnas shared his personal experiences of feeling ostracized and struggling to adapt upon arriving in Vilnius for his studies.

“

We were a few country folk, and everyone else was from Vilnius, at least most of them. I felt they were all more sophisticated, and my jokes and ways of adapting that worked in Kupiškis didn't work here. They rejected me, I felt rejected.

"We were a few country folk, and everyone else was from Vilnius, at least most of them," Vaitiekūnas recalled. "I felt they were all more sophisticated, and my jokes and ways of adapting that worked in Kupiškis didn't work here. They rejected me, I felt rejected."

While Vaitiekūnas highlighted the crucial support he received from one particular teacher, whom he described as having a "fatherly attention," he expressed reservations about other instructors. More broadly, he finds it perplexing that the "old system" appears to persist within the institution. He stated that he continues to hear stories from young actors that suggest the situation within the academy has not fundamentally changed.

“

They supported me. It was very important for me to feel support from Tuminas. Our course leader had fatherly attention.

"When young actors tell me what's happening at the theater academy, it chills me. It means nothing has changed much," he said. "There is mobbing, young souls are being harmed, belittled, humiliated. But perhaps let's not elaborate."

“

When young actors tell me what's happening at the theater academy, it chills me. It means nothing has changed much. There is mobbing, young souls are being harmed, belittled, humiliated. But perhaps let's not elaborate.

Vaitiekūnas believes the problem extends beyond individual staff members to the system itself, which he feels is failing to keep pace with contemporary times. He suggested that certain individuals remain stuck in the past, inadvertently traumatizing and increasing the insecurities of young aspiring actors. "The fact that you are applying for acting school doesn't mean you don't have complexes. On the contrary - you often come with very many," he added.

“

The fact that you are applying for acting school doesn't mean you don't have complexes. On the contrary - you often come with very many.