“Dance, Edita, Dance!”
A dynamic, modern, and uplifting one-woman show about love, youth, identity, and VHS dreams in 1990s Lithuania at the heart of Manhattan
Global English Premiere | December 12–14, 2025|The Factory Series @ The Chain Theatre
Dance, Edita, Dance! will take you to 90s Lithuania. Seventeen-year-old Edita from Šiauliai (pronounced SHOW-lay) works at a small video rental shop stacked with Western films, discovering the world through Dirty Dancing, Taxi Driver, and MTV. Caught between Hollywood fantasy and post-Soviet reality, she navigates first love and a hunger for a life that looks like it came straight from the movies.
This play was written by acclaimed Lithuanian writer Rimantas Kmita, known for Southern Chronicles, which inspired Lithuania’s highest-grossing film and is the country’s official submission for this year’s Academy Award for Best International Feature. Dance, Edita, Dance! is a spin-off of Southern Chronicles, turning one of its supporting female characters, Edita, into the protagonist and serving as the basis for Kmita’s upcoming novel Edita Complex. The novel is to be released in Lithuania on the same day as the global premiere of the play’s English version.
“Amid today’s nostalgic return to the ’90s — or to our own teenage years, no matter the decade — this play becomes a way of revisiting an age that wasn’t easy, whether because of adolescence itself or the times and places we lived in,” says producer Sondra Litvaitytė.
“It’s about understanding those experiences and perhaps rewriting their code for the future. We’re bringing to the stage Edita — a girl shaped by newly free Lithuania and inspired by the freedom and possibilities of America — and now we’re telling her story in New York, a city that almost certainly would have been her dream back in 1994. Told through the eyes of young American actors, the play becomes a meeting of cultures, languages, and memories — a reminder that stories born in the smallest, most isolated places, once constrained by ideology, still follow a universally recognizable pattern and can touch audiences everywhere. Edita grew up in Lithuania dreaming of America, and now, somewhere between the films we watched, the pages of the play, and the creativity of New York artists, those worlds finally meet on stage — just one block away from Broadway.”
Sound list
-
Retro Beat – Disco Scene
-
“I Save per Save” by Airija – Gražkė’s Dance
-
Slow Blues – Masturbation Scene
-
Original Piano Piece composed by Annie Thomas – Dance Scene
-
“Kas Is To” by BIX – Curtain Music
Cast
Creative Team
Rimantas Kmita
Ruta Mėta Pauliukaitytė
Sondra Litvaitytė
Aura Taylor
Eglė Bylaitė
Natsuki Takauji
Nicolas Kirchner
Ziggy Bornas
Marius Žalneravičius
Sabrina-Michelle Francis
Tommy Snow
Annie Thomas
Annie Thomas as Edita is an American actor, dancer, writer, and composer whose work bridges theatre, film, and music. Currently pursuing her BFA in Drama at New York University Tisch School of the Arts (New Studio on Broadway & Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, Class of 2025), Annie trained previously at CCCEPA (2022).
Her stage credits include Sweeney Todd, Chicago, Matilda, Little Women, Hairspray, and Romeo & Juliet, while her screen appearances span P.S. I Love You, The Darkest Minds, and Swamp Murders. She was a Cannes Film Festival participant, attended the International Theatre Workshop in Amsterdam (2024), and received the Wasserman Internship Grant.
In addition to performing, Annie writes and composes original music and is currently releasing her debut EP, showcasing her lyrical storytelling and cinematic sound. Her creative range extends behind the scenes as a composer, director, and marketing designer for emerging theatre projects, including collaborations with Loose Change Productions.
A multidisciplinary artist trained in method acting, classical voice, ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary dance, Annie brings an intuitive physicality and emotional honesty to every role she inhabits.
Luis Martinez
Luis Martinez ( Raimis / Male Dancer) is a Mexican actor and performer based in New York City. He began his career in musical theatre and has since worked across stage and screen. His credits include Control Z (Season 3, Netflix), Pacto de Silencio (Netflix), and Aquí Estamos (dir. Oscar Carapia). Theatre roles include Chicas Pesadas (Mean Girls), Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar, and Les Misérables with Mbteatro. Luis holds a B.A. in Acting from Pace University and continues to develop his work through performance, movement, and collaboration.
Julia Finke
Julia Finke (Garfylds) is an American actor, singer, and theatre artist with a background in both classical and contemporary performance. A mezzo-soprano with a strong belt and classical training, Julia has portrayed a wide range of roles, including Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Masha in The Seagull, Frau Gabor in Spring Awakening, and Rose O’Connell in Rosie the Riveter. Her stage work spans musical theatre, modern drama, and devised physical performance.
Julia earned her BA in Dramatic Art and Film Studies with a Musical Theatre minor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2024) and trained internationally at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy, focusing on physical theatre, movement, and commedia dell’arte.
Her artistic practice bridges acting, comedy, and movement, with additional training in stage combat, clown, and improvisation. Julia brings humor, precision, and musicality to every role and continues to create bold, character-driven work for stage and screen.
Bridget McNally
Bridget McNally is a rising young actor currently training in the Acting program at Pace University’s International Performance Ensemble (Class of 2028). She continues to explore performance through devised theatre, physical storytelling, movement, and ensemble collaboration. Outside of Pace, Bridget has expanded her training through programs at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts (Musical Theatre Intensive), The Catholic University of America (Musical Theatre Intensive), and PAVAN Regional Governor’s School for the Arts – Theatre Intensive, alongside private coaching with Brigitte Thieme-Burdette.
Bridget’s early talent and commitment have been recognized with awards including the International Thespians President’s List Scholar Distinction Award, Best On-Stage Presence, and Best Overall Game. Recent stage and performance work includes roles in Our Town, Into the Woods, Puffs, Almost, Maine, and devised work at Pace.
With strong movement and musical foundations, including nearly ten years of Irish dance training, Bridget brings a playful physicality, curiosity, and heartfelt presence to the stage. She is excited to continue growing as an artist and is thrilled to be joining the production of Dance, Edita, Dance!.
Rimantas Kmita
Rimantas Kmita (b. 1977, Šiauliai) is a Lithuanian literary scholar, poet, novelist, and translator. He earned his degree in literary theory from Klaipėda University in 2003 and completed a PhD at Vilnius University in 2008, focusing on the modernization of poetry under totalitarian regimes. Kmita has taught modern and Soviet-era Lithuanian literature as well as the sociology of literature at Vilnius and Klaipėda universities, where he now serves as an Associate Professor of Creative Writing.
Initially known as a promising young poet and critic, Kmita published several acclaimed poetry collections before shifting toward prose and translation. A major turning point came in 2013 when he translated Pedro Lenz’s Swiss-German dialect novel Der Goalie bin ig into his native Šiauliai dialect. That creative experiment sparked a new literary path and led to his breakthrough novel Pietinia kronikas (Southern Chronicles, 2016) — a coming-of-age story written in dialect that vividly captures the atmosphere of 1990s Lithuania.
The novel became a literary sensation and cultural milestone, celebrated for its authenticity, humor, and linguistic innovation. It has since been adapted into Lithuania’s highest-grossing film and was selected as the country’s official submission for this year’s Academy Awards.
Kmita’s subsequent novel Remyga (2020) received multiple awards, including the Lithuanian Writers’ Union Prize, further establishing him as one of Lithuania’s leading contemporary authors. His works — translated into several languages — explore themes of identity, language, and transformation during times of social and cultural transition.
In addition to fiction, Kmita writes for radio, curates exhibitions, and translates and adapts plays for the stage. In 2022, he received the Ad Astra Award from LATGA for his contribution to Lithuanian literature and cultural life.
Ruta Mėta Pauliukaitytė
Rūta Pauliukaitytė is an actor, dancer, and theatre director based in New York City, originally from Lithuania. A graduate of the Tom Todoroff Conservatory (NYC) and Straeon Acting Studios (Boston), she has trained extensively in classical and contemporary performance, physical theatre, clown, improvisation, and movement.
Her stage work includes roles in Le Grand Voyage, Mozart and Salieri, The Bear, The Trial of Cupid, A Hunger Artist, Homeland, Uncle Vanya, King John, Desire Under the Elms, and Spike Heels. Rūta’s performances span from classical theatre to experimental work, reflecting her passion for emotionally truthful, physically expressive storytelling.
In film, she has appeared in Wink (dir. Henry P. Gravelle), Ugly by Matalon, and Hospital. As a director, she explores themes of identity, resilience, and transformation through movement, improvisation, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Fluent in English, Spanish, Lithuanian, and Russian, Rūta brings a distinctly international perspective to her work. Beyond theatre, she is a professional hairstylist, costume maker, and lifelong plant lover, with a love for dance, hiking, and creative collaboration.
Sondra Litvaitytė
Produced by Sondra Litvaitytė
Lithuanian-born producer, cultural strategist moved to Italy at seventeen to study at the United World College on a Soros Foundation scholarship—an experience that shaped her lifelong appreciation for intercultural dialogue and understanding. She later earned a BA in Political Science and International Relations from La Sapienza University of Rome and spent more than fifteen years working for the Lithuanian diplomatic service, including at the Embassy of Lithuania in Italy and the Consulate General in New York.
Art and culture have always been central to her work. Sondra participated in Villa Lituania by Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonas (MIT), which represented Lithuania at the 2007 Venice Biennale, and later organized Gardens, an art installation by Ray Bartkus at Federal Hall in New York, marking the Centennial of Lithuania’s Modern Statehood. As a founding member of the New York Baltic Film Festival, she continues to support Lithuanian cinema internationally and contributes to the Boston Baltic Film Festival.
Her passion for literature, theatre, and languages led her to translate for acclaimed Lithuanian directors Eimuntas Nekrošius and Oskaras Koršunovas in Rome. Most recently, she developed Dance, Edita, Dance!—a one-woman Off-Off-Broadway production based on a new play by Rimantas Kmita—as part of her broader cultural initiative Open the Window: Šiauliai–New York, which builds artistic bridges between her hometown and the United States.
Aura Taylor
Aura Taylor is a Lithuanian-born, New York–based fashion designer, creative director, and educator with over two decades of international experience. Her womenswear line has been shown at New York Fashion Week, launched at Neiman Marcus, and featured in WWD, L’Officiel, and The New York Times.
For more than a decade, Aura has taught fashion design and brand communication at Parsons, Pratt, FIT, and recently the Vogue College of Fashion. Drawing on her Lithuanian roots, she explores identity and the stories of youth in post-Soviet Lithuania through the characters of Dance, Edita, Dance!, a project uniting fashion, memory, and performance.
Eglė Bylaitė
Eglė Bylaitė is a Lithuanian-born, New York–based textile and fashion designer whose creative journey bridges Lithuania and the United States. She earned an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York in 2009, where she also completed advanced courses in haute couture techniques and leather design. In 2025, she received a Master’s degree in Textile Art from the Vilnius Academy of Arts.
She collaborated with designer Julija Januš and created costumes for contemporary dance troupes at the New Baltic Dance Festival. Later, in New York, she joined Macy’s creative team in Manhattan, contributing to the store’s visual design projects. Since 2017, Eglė has been teaching ethnic culture and organizing visual and artistic events at the Maironis Lithuanian School of New York, blending her passion for design, education, and cultural heritage.
Natsuki Takauji
NATSUKI TAKAUJI is a Japanese native interdisciplinary artist based in NYC. Her work centers around the themes of displacement, spirituality, nature, and trauma through both personal expression and communal participation. Her practice ranges from mixed-media, multimedia, to socially engaged, sustainable art, and public sculpture.
After earning a Bachelor's in Creative Writing from Waseda University in Japan, she realized her strong desire to explore visual expression and moved to NYC. She studied Fine Art Painting and Sculpture at The Art Students League of New York, where she is an instructor and Co-Director of Works in Public program in partnership with the NYC Parks Department. She also co-founded The Artist Gardener NYC to activate community gardens through art exhibitions and programs.
Natsuki has recently exhibited her public sculptures at JFK International Airport, KinoSaito Arts Center, Japan Society, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and had solo exhibits at Materials for the Arts, Kapow Gallery, and SPRING/BREAK ART SHOW. And recent group shows at Tokyo Metropolitan Museum and Kameyama Art Trienniale in Japan, World Art Expo Seoul in Korea, Oeno Gallery in Canada, and Cultural Art Center in Venice, Italy. She received fellowships from Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, Materials for the Arts, Ankhlave Arts Alliance, Artport Residency, Model to Monument, and grants from Queens Council on the Arts, NYFA, Port Authority of NY&NJ, The Art Students League of NY, and more.
Nicolas Kirchner
Nicolas Kirchner is a sound designer and audio engineer specializing in storytelling through sound for theatre, film, and digital media. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a BFA in Sound Design and a minor in Performing Arts, Nicolas brings technical expertise and artistic sensitivity to every project he undertakes.
His work includes serving as Sound Supervisor and Music Editor for Le Charade — a project nominated for a College Television Award (2025) — as well as Audio Tech Assistant at Bang Zoom! Studios, where he refined dialogue editing workflows and quality control processes.
An accomplished collaborator, Nicolas also worked as Music Director at Warren County Technical School and Sound Board Operator for interACT Theatre Productions. He is proficient in ProTools, Reaper, iZotope RX, and Final Cut Pro, with extensive experience in live mixing, music editing, and post-production sound design.
Ziggy Bornas
Ziggy Bornas is an award-winning lighting designer based in New York City, whose work spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, and concert production. His recent Off-Broadway credits include Alone, Sunday in the Park with George, Fun Home, The Options Game, and Violet — for which he received the BroadwayWorld Award for Best Lighting Design of an Off-Broadway Show (2023).
On Broadway, Ziggy’s lighting design credits include Agency for the Lost, Death of a Driver, and Next to Normal. He has also designed numerous productions for LaGuardia High School, including La Belle Hélène, Better, Show Choir, New Music Concert 2024, Semi Annual, and LaGuardia Graduation 2025.
Ziggy’s work is distinguished by its emotional precision, visual storytelling, and sensitivity to the rhythm and mood of each production
Marius Žalneravičius
A graphic designer - art director employed in graphic communication design, typography, social and commercial advertising. In which identity and communication systems for cultural events, working with international exhibitions, social (human rights, anti-alcohol, traffic control, etc.) cultural communication campaigns. The most important works Graphic-information system for Lithuanian Maritime museum "The Baltic Sea habitats". The graphic identity for cinema festival "Inconvenient Films" for the period 2007-2014., The graphic identity for singing poetry festival „Tai-aš“ 2007-2013; The graphic identity for "Vilnius documentary cinema festival VDFF " 2009-2010 m.; The turistic graphic identity for Zarasai town.; The graphic identities and brand guidelines for "Lithuanian films" and „Lithuanian Films Center“; The graphic identity for Vilnius st. Johnes church; The graphic identity for the poetry festival „Literatūrinės Vilniaus slinktys“; The graphic identities and brand guidelines for international EXPO „Made in Lithuania“; The graphic identity for food donation campaign „Food bank“ 2009 m; The graphic identity for JSC „MAXIMA loyalty program "AČIŪ" in 2013; The graphic identity and layout for daily readings book „Magnificat; The graphic identity for Events organized by the French Institute „ Winter screens 2014, 2015“; The graphic identity for „Lithuanian Human Rights Center“ and „My Rights“ ; The graphic solution for Lithuanian tourism exhibition stand for the city of Anykščiai.
Sabrina-Michelle Francis
Sabrina-Michelle Francis is a New York–based stage manager whose recent credits include Dog Sees God (The Vino Theatre), Cherry Orchard (The Chain Theatre), Snow White... Seven Fairy Godmothers (Bundy Auditorium), I’M ECSTATIC YOU’RE ALIVE (ASDS Rep Theatre), and Boundless: A New Musical (Sakas Theatre). Their additional work spans production stage management, assistant directing, and sound mixing for theatre and short film projects, including collaborations at Open Jar Studios, NYU Tisch Graduate Film, and Soho Film.
Sabrina-Michelle is currently pursuing a BFA in Stage Management at Pace University and is a graduate of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities (Drama, ’24). They bring experience in props, QLab, Final Draft, music theory, and movement, with additional background in intimacy coordination, stage combat (SAFD), and cosmetology.
Tommy Snow
Tommy is a New York–based actor, musician, and emerging director currently pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre and a BA in Directing & Film at Marymount Manhattan College. His Off-Broadway credits include training_set (Male Understudy/Django, Theatre Row) and Girls Who Walked on Glass (u/s Charlie, Alchemical Studios). Off-Off-Broadway appearances include Matchstick Girl (Peter), Metamorphoses (Phaeton/Narcissus; u/s Orpheus), and Once (Guitarist/Ensemble) at Gallery Players.
Tommy’s regional work includes roles in Hello, Dolly! (Ambrose Kemper; u/s Barnaby), Bright Star (Billy Cane), Pride and Prejudice (Mr. Bingley), All Is Calm, Swing!, and Just a Stage He’s Going Through.
Alongside performing, he has growing experience in directing and stage management, serving as ASM for training_set (Theatre Row), PSM for Women Who Cut (Circle Theater Festival @ AMT), Associate Director/PSM for Girls Who Walked on Glass, Guest Director for Sunday in the Park with George at Brooklyn College, and Director/Writer/Producer of This Is a Play About Life (Jonah Bokaer Arts Foundation).
His film credits include After Dark, Inferno, Trifecta, When Harriet Met Sam, and The Deliverance (Dir. Lee Daniels). Tommy trained at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and continues advanced study in voice, dance, and acting.
Tommys is also a skilled baritenor, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter.
Photos
Poster
Behind-the-Scenes Rehearsal Photo by Vytenis Jankunas
Behind-the-Scenes Rehearsal Photo by Catherine Ward
Behind-the-Scenes Rehearsal Photo by Catherine Ward
Behind-the-Scenes Rehearsal Photo by Vytenis Jankunas
Behind-the-Scenes Rehearsal Photo by Vytenis Jankunas
Behind-the-Scenes Rehearsal Photo by Vytenis Jankunas
Behind-the-Scenes Rehearsal Photo by Vytenis Jankunas
SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The Lithuanian Alliance in America (LIA) – For providing us with a rehearsal space. The SLA Art Space became our creative headquarters and laboratory throughout the five intensive weeks of preparation.
Material for the Arts – For providing essential props and materials that allowed our team to build a world that feels both familiar and nostalgic.
Samas from BIX & Nojus from Airija – For granting us the rights to use their iconic songs “Kas iš to?” and “I save per save.” BIX, founded in Šiauliai, became one of the most internationally recognized Baltic bands; in 1989 Nirvana opened for them in West Germany. In 1990, they toured the USA, introducing American audiences to Lithuanian rock. Airija, influenced by Irish culture (its name means Ireland in Lithuanian), released its first album in 1994 — the very year of Edita’s world.
Luis Martinez – For his commitment as an actor, for assisting with casting and production needs, and for creating the choreography for both dances.
Julia Finke – For designing the Edita & Raimis poster.
Valda Dasevičiūtė – For supporting us from the very beginning — auditions, volunteer coordination, community outreach, and countless behind-the-scenes tasks. It was comforting to have her just one phone call away.
SteadFast Construction Management – For helping us transport our set pieces, props, and production materials safely across New York City.
Catherina Ward & Vytenis Jankūnas – For beautifully capturing the visual language of this project through photography.
Aura Taylor – For developing the artistic vision and costumes for Dance, Edita, Dance!, and crafting the look and feel of our merchandise. Her professionalism and exquisite attention to detail made us feel as if we had stepped backstage at New York Fashion Week.
Audra Mačiūnaitė – For asking thoughtful questions, documenting our process, and tracing the evolution of this production.
Ayla F. Moses – For stepping last minute into stage management. Even while battling a 104° fever, she demonstrated extraordinary problem-solving skills.
Agnė Biskytė – For sharing her unique in-depth research on 1990s Šiauliai fashion.
Vladas Krivickas & Tabitha Sabky – For their linguistic consultations on editing and adapting the text into English.
Aelita West, artist and actress – For providing her wonderful handmade rack dolls used in the show — small characters with big personalities who have become beloved members of the Dance, Edita, Dance! family.
Haksul Lee (Jabudokan), artist and professional judo trainer, and Japanese American Budokan, LLC — for offering an introductory judo lesson for our actors.
Thank you to the entire team, whose extraordinary commitment to this production went far beyond the expected. You each took more than one extra step to make it work and to make it happen.
This production was born out of love for one’s hometown — in this case, Šiauliai — and from the rich material created by Rimantas Kmita, brought to life through the remarkable dedication of our director, Rūta, who translated its language into theatrical art. It grew from curiosity about a city’s cultural pulse and from a desire to open a window between two places — Šiauliai and New York. And in the end, it became a nostalgic love letter to our teenage selves, looking for the inner disco ball.
Thank you to everyone who believed in this project, lifted us up, and helped bring Edita to life on this stage. From Šiauliai to New York —Ačiū. Thank you!
