Interview with Writer and Director Greta Griniūtė

Sponsored by Blue Book Theatre Co.

Driven by a passion for directing, Greta Griniūtė flew from her home in Lithuania to the UK to study theater and acting, which led to a scholarship to study cinema in Los Angeles. As she directed commercials, plays and films, it became clear her decision to chase her dreams was worth it as she has received many awards, grants and scholarships for her work.

Now represented as a director internationally, Greta premieres her new play Adventures of Nicole at Teatre del Raval with Blue Book Theatre Co. on February 8th. In a world where we hide behind our screens and give love through a like on social media, Greta wants to revert back to the romantic days, following the main character (Nicole) after the death of her husband, as she finds love not only within herself, but in someone new. 

We sat down with her to learn more about her new production, what motivates her and what she’s got in the works.

What Inspired You to Become a Director?

Growing up I was very much fascinated by nature and the little animals that lived in my garden. My imagination went wild creating stories for each of them, playing snail races, creating a frog orchestra and choreographing dancing doves. I think directing is all about looking and noticing small things, then exaggerating them and creating a new world. 

What’s Your Favorite Part about Working in Film and Theater? What Is the Difference for You between Them?

I think it’s the making and the people. The process of creating art at this scale is actually very challenging for the same reasons, but also extremely rewarding once you build a strong team and have people, who you can fully trust, holding your hand and walking towards the same goal together. I think that theater is the foundation for me, if you can navigate a theater stage with a big cast, lighting, music and sound cues, you are pretty much set up. I focus on performances and that’s mostly working and training with actors. In film, you just have the camera to help you to showcase the nuances of reactions and details.

What Inspired You to Write This Particular Play?

We are living in an age where romance is pretty much non-existent. As everything becomes more and more wrapped in plastic, love takes upon very similar packaging. It’s probably the consumerism mentality that attracts me to talk about online dating and lovesickness. I wish we would all go back to writing love letters and doing small surprises, somehow nowadays everything seems much more transactional.

What Is the Play About?

It’s about Nicole, who’s 55 years old and gets pushed to sign up for Tinder by her crazy friends. It’s about craving for love, it’s about catholic guilt, it’s about the female body and it’s about being a hopeless romantic.

What Do the Characters Represent for You?

When I write, I am interested in finding characters who from the outside don’t seem that interesting, but once you delve deeper into their ethos, you quickly realize that everyone creates their own little understanding of what life is and that’s beautiful.

How Special Was It for You to Be the Director and Writer of This Play? How Do You Think This Affects the Actors?

Mostly everything I create I write and direct myself. I just enjoy both processes so much, that they very much became intertwined for me. I am very flexible with my words and my writings, I believe that gives actors freedom to sometimes improvise and become very much involved in the process of creating.

How Is It Working with International Actors? And Why Did You Choose to Write in English?

I always push myself for new challenges whilst directing. Working with actors from all over the world is exciting for me, because I can learn so much everyday. I get inspired very easily by people and their stories, so working with actors of different nationalities is a huge gift for me. Originally the play was written in Lithuanian, but I wanted it to reach wider audiences and the English language is a good tool for achieving that. 

Do You Work a Lot in English?

Currently, I mostly work in English, but I also have projects in Lithuanian and Spanish. 

What Other Projects Are You Currently Working On?

Raising funds for my feature film Independent Child, writing my second feature film Woman and Her Five Men, finishing a short documentary Put Your Clothes ON!, planning a little solo exhibition, as well as working in commercials and many many more things. I have 48 hours in a day. 

What Do You Love Doing outside of Work?

My work is very much my life. If I am not creating, I am in a gallery, theater, opera or cooking for my friends. Actually, I truly love cooking, so that could also be my “plan B” for life.

You can learn more about Blue Book Theatre Co. at bluebooktheatrecompany.com and you can follow on social media for the latest updates on Facebook @bluebooktheatreco, Instagram @bluebooktheatre_co, and LinkedIn.

Sponsored by Blue Book Theatre Co.