In distant Burkina Faso, a screening of the play “Open the Door”

On February 20, Justinas Vinciūnas’ play “Open the Door” was performed in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). However, the performance took place virtually—the audience gathered at the Les Récréatrales theater watched a video recording of the play.

The production is based on a play by the Burkinabé playwright Aristide Tarnagda. Lithuania and Burkina Faso were brought together by the Creative Europe project “Deconfining: Deconfining Arts, Culture and Policies in Europe and Africa,” which unites organizations and artists from Europe and Africa.

In early October of last year, playwright A. Tarnagda visited Kaunas and watched the performance live.

“The screening of the production was very moving. About 150 people gathered—there could have been more, but for both Christian and Muslim communities, the Lenten season was in progress. The discussions following the performance were particularly sensitive and meaningful. Many audience members were surprised that the Lithuanian creators managed to convey Burkina Faso’s history so accurately and respectfully. It was especially important that the theme of violence was addressed responsibly. The audience consisted of local women and youth, as well as artists from Burkina Faso, Mali, Cameroon, Niger, Benin, Togo, Burundi, and members of the “Recréatrales” community. “It was a true moment of cultural dialogue,” said Aristide Tarnagda after the screening of the performance in Les Récréatrales.

The director of the production – Justinas Viciūnas;

The set designer – Boubacar Souley Salifou;

The costume designer and co-set designer – Patricija Vytytė;

The lighting designer – Vladimiras Šerstabojevas;

The composer is Mantas Mockus. The play was translated by Vytas Kraujelis.

The cast includes Povilas Barzdžius, Eglė Mikulionytė, Robertas Petraitis, Kęstutis Povilaitis, and Sigitas Šidlauskas. In 2025, the play’s director J. Vinciūnas and composer M. Mockus were awarded the “Golden Stage Crosses” in the categories of emerging artist and composer.  

The play was created in collaboration with partners Les Récréatrales (Burkina Faso).

The project is co-funded by the European Union, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Lithuanian Culture Institute, and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.

Photos by Zanma Photographie.

PROJECT IS FUNDED