Publication During the
Lithuanian National Revival, resisting various
Russification and
Polonization efforts, Lithuanians increasingly become more culturally active – published and distributed Lithuanian-language publications that were outlawed by the
Lithuanian press ban, organized secret Lithuanian-language schools for children, established secret societies (cultural and educational societies were officially allowed only after the
Russian Revolution of 1905), and hosted evenings with music, dances, games, and occasional
amateur theater performances. Since there was a dearth of Lithuanian-language plays that could be performed during such evenings, Lithuanian monthly
Varpas announced a contest for Lithuanian plays. Brothers Vilkutaitis using pen name Keturakis (it is not known which brother was the main author) submitted comedy
America in the Bathhouse.
Vincas Kudirka, editor of
Varpas, liked the play and brought it to the christening of a daughter of
Jonas Jablonskis in 1894. The gathering included other intellectuals who read the play. Few months later, during
užgavėnės in 1895, Jablonskis staged the play in a school dormitory of the
Mitau Gymnasium. Future President of Lithuania
Antanas Smetona played the role of Faibčikas. Kudirka had the play published in 1895 in Tilsit,
East Prussia (now
Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast). The first edition, 5,000 copies, sold for 10 kopeks. It was republished in 1905 in
Saint Petersburg by
Eduards Volters (1,000 copies). Ten percent of the proceeds were earmarked for the widows and orphans of the
Russo-Japanese War. It was further republished in 1921 and 1937 in independent Lithuania and in 1966 in
Soviet Lithuania.
First performances sits in the middle with the poster. The play was popular. It was staged by different communities of
Lithuanian Americans at least five times before the performance in present-day Lithuania in 1899. In the Russian Empire, the play was performed in
Saint Petersburg on 12 February 1898 and in
Riga on 25 April 1898. In 1899,
Liudas Vaineikis, a Lithuanian physician living in
Palanga and an active
Lithuanian book smuggler, suggested to
Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė to stage a public Lithuanian theater performance. Since Palanga was part of the
Courland Governorate, Lithuanian activities attracted far less attention than in the
Kovno or
Vilna Governorates and it was much easier to obtain an official permit. Petkevičaitė started organizing the play. She selected
America in the Bathouse as it was easy to stage and already approved by the
state censors and recruited
Povilas Višinskis to help with finding actors. They managed to get access to a shed owned by the
Tyszkiewicz family that was built for performances by traveling troupes. There was only one performance on . Despite various difficulties and a last-minute police interruption, the performance was a success and even netted a profit of 100 rubles that was donated to Vincas Kudirka. Vaineikis obtained a permit to stage
America in the Bathhouse in Libau (
Liepāja) during the winter break on 16 January 1900. The actors were mostly the same as in Palanga; Višinskis also recruited
Jonas Biliūnas to play the role of the matchmaker. The same group managed to obtain permits to stage a different comedy,
Devil Trapped (
Velnias spąstuose), on 21 July in Libau and on 23 July in Mitau (
Jelgava), but when Višinskis hung Lithuanian posters in
Pašvitinys and
Joniškis, the permits were revoked and actors were arrested and questioned by the police.
Later performances The play became very popular and was performed by various groups illegally. Various peasants hosted the play in their barns, particularly in
Suvalkija. For example, future Prime Minister
Juozas Tūbelis staged the play in his father's barn in 1901. The play was also staged outside of Lithuania.
Birutė Society staged it on 25 February 1900 in Tilsit,
East Prussia (now
Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast). It was staged legally in Saint Petersburg in 1902 (three performances) and 1904.
Mykolas Sleževičius staged the play in
Odessa in 1904, while two performances took place in present-day
Latvia in
Subate in February 1904 and in
Grīva in December 1904. When the Lithuanian press ban was lifted in 1904 and cultural societies were allowed in 1905, there were a number of legal performances in Lithuania, including on 31 October 1904 in
Šiauliai (
Kazimieras Venclauskis played Bekampis;
Vincas Kapsukas turned the gathering into a political protest against the Tsar), on 6 February 1905 in
Vilnius, by the
Daina Society on 5 March 1905 in
Kaunas, by politician
Kazys Grinius on 28 May 1905 in
Marijampolė, composer
Stasys Šimkus on 2 November 1905 in
Jurbarkas. The play was staged in Moscow in 1907. By World War I, it was performed over a hundred times. The play continues to be a part of the Lithuanian theater repertoire. The
Kaunas State Drama Theatre staged the play in 1974 (director Valdas Lencevičius). In 2014, the theater staged the 700th performance in
Rumšiškės. In 2014, the play was performed in
Georgian at the
Rustaveli Theatre in
Tbilisi. In October 2016, Musical Assemble Ainiai premiered a new interpretation by Nerijus Petrokas, musical comedy
Is America in the Bathhouse?! (
Ar Amerika pirtyje?!). ==References==