A puppet and object performance for children “The Girl with the Rifle”

This is the story of a girl named Magdė, whose parents and entire family were deported to Siberia at the end of World War II, when the Russians arrived after the Germans withdrew. With the help of her teacher, who was also a partisan, the girl settled in a bunker and became a partisan herself, saving the lives of many people. The story is based on the memories of witnesses and freedom fighters of that time, historical material, and the story told by a former partisan courier about a girl who lived with the partisans in a bunker for some time.

This play is about the courage of the most vulnerable—children—in critical situations and their instinct for survival. Despite the complex personal experiences and historical context, the story remains warm and witty. Magdė, who grew up in a single day, confesses to the carved Rūpintojėlis that she is a huge coward. However, not knowing who the partisans are, she bravely accepts the new reality and uncertainty. After all, it is not the one who is not afraid who is brave. The brave are those who face their fears and take action.

The play retains the witty narrative tone of the book, as Magdė herself and her Teacher, the only survivors of the bunker explosion, recount the events they remember.

The audience becomes characters and helps to tell this intense and admirable story.

“Both the composer and I grew up listening to our parents’ stories about our grandparents who were partisans, so the theme itself becomes very personal. It is unlikely that there is a family in Lithuania that has not been affected by the war, deportations, or attempts to resist. And in this global context, I want to tell these stories again and again, because listening to them once more convinces me that even against a much greater enemy, it is worth defending your values, because today we are free,” says the director of the play.

Screenplay writer and director

Giedrė KRIAUČIONYTĖ-VOSYLIENĖ

Composer

Dominykas DIGIMAS

Set designer

Marius VAITKUS

Cast:

Eliza BONDARENKO / Indrė VĖLYVYTĖ

Vilius KIRKILIONIS / Dainius TARUTIS

Duration: 60 min.
Premiere – September 12, 2025.