Stasys Ratkevičius. Photo of Edmundas Katinas

In brief: The founder of Kaunas State Puppet Theatre Stasys Ratkevičius may be called the wonder-worker of children’s world boldly – several generations of children grew up with his performances. The 92-year-old theatre man is still an interesting interlocutor of discerning mind and snappy tongue.

The documentary about S.Ratkevičius “As Blue Bell-flowers Echoed” was presented at the Puppet Theatre recently. The scenario author and director of the film, member of the Writers’ Union Enrika Striogaitė, the cameraman Antanas Budrys and the experienced editor Svetlana Gaižauskienė created a persuasive story about the enlightened person of Lithuania of almost one hour. The sincere memories and charm of personality of S.Ratkevičius have been immortalised in the film in time, as they are turning into history in our eyes.

“Stasys Ratkevičius is live history of our culture. The stories of maestro are about the famous tenor Kipras Petrauskas, with whom they worked in the same theatre, the composer Juozas Naujalis, in whose choir the future actor and director sang, the legendary theatre director Romualdas Juknevičius and other prominent people. You speak with such a personality and understand why he chose the road of creating for children and cherishing their souls,” the writer and author of the film Enrika Striogaitė states.

The “father” of Kaunas Puppet Theatre Stasys Ratkevičius says that he has always followed the rule that the little spectators should be spoken to from the heart. When he chose his road of life, he remembered the father’s precept that a man should do such deeds that a trace would be left afterwards.

Rūta Kanopkaitė

Weekly Šeimininkė