Rimas Tuminas is a talented director of famous theater performances and productions. Behind him are dozens of complex dramatic paintings lurking in themselves a deep, deep meaning and an intense colorful plot.
What is the creative biography of Rimas Tuminas? How remarkable is his contribution to the development of domestic theater? What are his future directorial plans and projects? You can briefly learn about this from our article on the work, biography, personal life of Rimas Tuminas.
The beginning of life
This happened in the winter of 1952, in Kelme, a small town in the Šiauliai county of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. In the family of ordinary workers from the Old Believers, the future director Rimas Tuminas was born.
In numerous interviews, he repeatedly described his childhood - a farmstead lost in the fields, poverty and outback. We lived without light and other habitual communications. True, then electricity appeared - a generator of some neighbor worked two hours a day.
However, the memories of the talented playwright about his childhood are quite pleasant - fresh air, expanse, carefree ...
Among other joyful moments, Rimas Tuminas mentions religious holidays, which were accompanied not only by noisy fun and delicious dinners, but also by carnival dressing-ups, fiery performances and humorous rallies. Perhaps already then, as a little boy watching amateur performances, Rimas wanted to connect his fate with theatrical activity.
According to the memoirs of a talented director, from the age of seven he began to arrange short recitations, teaching neighboring girls eloquent and expressive performances. These were the first performances of Rimas Tuminas, which he, a barefoot boy, staged in the cold canopy of his small house.
Initial introduction to the theater
At the age of fourteen, a teenager first visited a real theater. The entire class of their rural school went to the capital to the theatrical performance "Puss in Boots".
As Rimas Tuminas himself admitted once, he did not like the performance. Firstly, the play was too childish for a boy living an independent life. By the way, by that time young Rimas was already working as a projectionist and lived separately from his parents.
Secondly, this play was disgusting. The actors were false, the scenery was suffering, what was happening on stage seemed simulated and ... miserable. Another thing is cinema. Here is real art, here is a true breakthrough into the future!
However, despite this prejudice towards the theater, at the age of eighteen, Rimas Tuminas entered the Lithuanian Conservatory and then graduated from GITIS. Why did such a change in the thinking of a young man occur?
True calling
And the first love was to blame.
Once, a family of four educated and intelligent women, a mother and three daughters, settled on a farm. Our Lithuanian hero fell in love with the youngest. She was the prettiest, the most tender, the most aristocratic.
However, a year later, the beloved of the future director, together with her family, left for the capital and did not return, leaving an indelible mark in the heart of the young guy. Unrequited love awakened creativity in his soul - young Rimas began to compose poetry, sing romances and dream of glory.
However, the path to fame was thorny and not easy. First, the guy worked as a welder and studied at evening school. Then flew to the capital, to study to become a director.
Already in Vilnius, this noisy and crowded city, the young man met his love. He came to her with an open soul and a rose in his hands, and her heart was already taken. Then Rimas Tuminas decided to become a famous theater director, so that the girl regretted whom she had refused.
Years of study at the Academy
Of course, studying at the academy was difficult and required effort and effort. At first, the young man treated her lightly and frivolously. Of course, he wanted to become famous, and creative aspirations woke up in his soul.
From early childhood, the young Lithuanian got involved in art - he painted, sculpted figures, sang and recited poems. Most likely, such artistry manifested itself in a child from his mother - a creative and extraordinary nature, earning a living by fashion design and drawing.
Rimas Tuminas remained at the academy only because he did not want to return to his native village with anything, to hear other people's ridicule and gossip behind his back. And he did the right thing, that he stayed.
Only in the learning process did the whole depth and monumentality of true drama reveal to him. At the academy, the young man discovered Chekhov and his serious, emotional drama. It was at the university that Rimas Tuminas began to compose small, but vivid and psychological sketches.
And then there was admission to GITIS. The young Lithuanian was accepted, even closing his eyes to a deuce in the history of the USSR. Everyone was struck by his extraordinary talent and the depth of his inner world.
The first productions of the novice master
After graduating from Moscow, Rimas Tuminas returned to his homeland - to sweetheart Lithuania, where he took place as a talented stage director. The first dramatic work of a graduate of GITIS was "January" - a play based on the play by Y. Radichkov.
Since 1979, Rimas Tuminas worked for more than twenty years in the capital's drama theater, first as a simple director and then as artistic director.
During his tenure in this position, the talented playwright staged dozens of theatrical plays on the stage, the most popular of which are “The Snow Queen”, “The Cat on a Hot Roof”, “Oedipus Rex” and many others.
Personal brainchild
In 1990, the Lithuanian director organized and headed his own theater, called the Dramatic Maly. On his stage, such talented and memorable performances of Rimas Tuminas were shown, such as “Three Sisters”, “The Cherry Orchard”, “Masquerade”, “The Examiner” and others from the eternal theater classics. As you can see, the Lithuanian director’s love for Russian writers is truly unlimited. Transmitting all the power and great meaning of these works in his productions, the playwright not only raises serious humane questions, but also puts on public display the depth of human emotions, actions and relationships.
On the stage of the Maly Theater, Tuminas's personal plays were also successfully performed. For example, his play “There Will Be No Death”, co-authored with the famous poet V. Kukulas, made a great impression on the audience and was appreciated by theater critics and the media.
Foreign projects
During this period, Rimas Tuminas also worked actively abroad. In Finland, in the early 1990s, he staged Moliere and Uncle Vanya by Chekhov on the stage of Don Juan. Then there was an experience in Iceland - “Don Giovanni” and “Richard III” (based on the great Shakespeare).
Of the contemporary works of the Lithuanian director abroad, mention should be made of Romeo and Juliet and The Servant of Two Masters (2001, Poland), as well as Idiot and Cherry Orchard (2004 and 2006, respectively, Sweden).
As you can see, the director is often invited precisely to serious classical productions, since he, like no other, can correctly and correctly, in the light of modern conditions, convey the spirit and atmosphere of that time, as well as vividly and figuratively depict true human feelings and aspirations.
Work in the Russian Federation
Since 2007, Rimas Tuminas has been working in Moscow at the Theater named after E. B. Vakhtangova. Here, at the invitation of the Russian Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography, he holds a responsible position as an artistic director.
Under the careful supervision of a Lithuanian director, such memorable, serious performances as Troil and Cressida (Shakespeare, 2008), Uncle Vanya (Chekhov, 2009), Masquerade (Lermontov, 2010), were staged at the theater The wind rumbles in poplars ”(Siblerays, 2011),“ Smile to us, Lord ”(Kanovich, 2014),“ Minetti ”(Bernahard, 2015),“ Oedipus the King ”(Sophocles, 2016).
Among all sorts of talented productions, the performance “Eugene Onegin” must be mentioned. Rimas Tuminas put his whole soul into this production, for which he was awarded the Golden Mask award as the best director of 2014.
It is also worth mentioning that on the account of the Lithuanian artistic director there are two works of a completely different genre. These are the operas Katerina Izmailova (Shostakovich) and The Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky). Both works were staged at the Bolshoi Theater and were marked by many positive reviews and reviews.
Teaching work
Since 1979, Rimas Tuminas has been engaged in teaching activities. At the Vilnius Conservatory, he is listed as a professor of theater disciplines. The director also teaches at GITIS, and since 2012 he has been accepting students from various theatrical educational institutions in his First Studio (at the Vakhtangov Theater).
A bit about personal
Regarding the personal life of Rimas Tuminas (wife, family, hobbies and hobbies), quite a lot is known. The talented director was married twice. His first wife was Jurate Anyulite. In this short marriage, the daughter of Monica was born.
Then the Lithuanian director got married a second time. This happy event happened in 1982. Actress Inga Burneykaite became the chosen one of Rimas Tuminas. The couple also had a daughter, who is now actively involved in acting and directing.
What else can be said about the personal life of Rimas Tuminas? He is a very open and sociable person, loves jokes and good humor. Therefore, in many productions of the director, subtle comicism and grotesque jokes are often found.
Artistic Director Health
The whole theater country has been experiencing the health status of a talented artistic director for several years. The fact that Rimas Tuminas is ill with cancer became known in 2014. After that, the director underwent examination and treatment at an oncological clinic in Israel, from where he was discharged in satisfactory condition, full of fresh strength and energy.
In 2017, there were alarming reports of a cardiovascular disease by Rimas Tuminas. After undergoing serious treatment, he again returned to his active creative activity.
Artistic Awards
For his work and efforts in the theater field, the director was repeatedly awarded with prizes and awards. For example, the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1999), the Orders of Honor (2017) and Friendship (2010), the Golden Mask and the Live Theater Prizes.
This, of course, is not a complete and incomplete list of rewards for a talented theater art director. Ahead of him is a lot of hard work. And we will expect bright and unforgettable productions.