When cannons speak, muses do not fall silent (1940-1944)

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Teatras; Sovietų okupacija; Antrasis pasaulinis karas, 1939-1945 (World War II); Menininkai; Režisieriai; Aktoriai; Dramaturgija; Dramos; Realizmas; Cenzūra; Lithuania; Theater; Soviet occupation; Second World War; Artists; Directors; Actors; Dramaturgy; Dramas; Realism; Censorship.

ENJune 15th, 1940, marked a significant point in Lithuanian history. Not only was this the beginning of Soviet occupation, but also a period of time that substantially affected Lithuanian theaters. Corrections or, rather, mutations, to the repertoire were already felt in the 1940-1941 season - that fall, theaters in Vilnius, Kaunas, Šiauliai and Panevėžys put on stage the first productions exemplifying social realism, forced ideals, and plays by Soviet playwrights Gorky, Korneychuk, Arbuzov, Pogodin, Lavrenyov, German and others. Directors known for implementing Soviet ideas on stage even before the war, including Juknevičius and Dauguvietis, used their previous experience to create works full of apparently "new" ideology like "The Armored Train 14-69", "The Son of People", "The Breakllp", etc. Apart from plays like these, theaters tried to restore to their repertoires older productions that were unlikely to catch the eye of Soviet censorship; these included "Topazas", "Atžalynas", "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and the like. [Extract, p. 89]