Marius Ivaškevičius (b. 1973) is a Lithuanian novelist, playwright, film director and screenwriter. He made his debut in 1996 with the short story collection Why Children (Kam vaiku), followed in 1998 by his first novel History from a Cloud (Istorija nuo debesies). His first play, The Neighbour (Kaimynas), was staged at the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre in 2000. Estonian theatre audiences have been familiar with Ivaškevičius’ dramatic work for over a decade, since Hendrik Toompere Jr staged his play Expulsion. Chronicle of One Apple at the Estonian Drama Theatre. The production was well received by both audiences and critics and earned Toompere the Best Director award at the Estonian Theatre Awards in 2016. Set in London, the play addresses increasingly topical issues of emigration and immigration, as well as the enduring dilemmas of identity. In 2019, Elmo Nüganen staged Ivaškevičius’ playful drama Kant at the Tallinn City Theatre, based on the life and work of the famous philosopher. In 2024, Toompere brought Ivaškevičius’ play The Totalitarian Novel to the stage, based on the author’s travels to authoritarian regimes in Central Asia. These experiences evoked memories of the Soviet Union and prompted him to explore Stalinism and the oppressive, often violent nature of post-Soviet regimes.
Marius Ivaškevičius
