Antanas Škema
Encyclopedia
Antanas Škėma (ˈʃkæma; November 29, 1910 - August 11, 1961) was a Lithuania
n writer
, stage actor and director. His best known work is the novel
The White Shroud (Balta drobulė).
where his father was sent to work as a teacher. During World War I
he lived in Russia
with his parents. In 1921, they all came back to Lithuania.
He attended high schools in Radviliškis
and Kaunas
. In 1929, he entered the University of Lithuania medical faculty, but in 1931 he transferred his studies to the Faculty of Law
. At the time university was renamed to Vytautas Magnus University
.
In 1935 he entered the theater studio directed by V.Sipavičius-Fedotas. While attending the studio he was also accepted to the Lithuanian State Theatre in Kaunas - in 1936, Škėma started acting
on Lithuania's greatest stage. When he was in Kaunas he married Janina Solkeviciute, a Polish economist. From 1940 to 1944 he did work in Vilnius State Theater, at first as an actor, and later as a director. Škėma had parts in nearly every play of that time. His daughter, Kristina, was born in 1940 in Vilnius, days after the German occupation of the city.
In 1944, he left Lithuania for Germany
, where he was involved in some artistic work with Lithuanian troupes, primarily in DP camps.
In 1949, Škėma left Europe for United States of America, and actively joined Lithuanian exile cultural and theatrical activities . He acted at the Chicago Theater and also in Boston
's Drama Group performances.
In 1960-1961 he worked in the editorial office of Vienybė newspaper. In addition, he was lecturing, writing and printing articles about theater and literature in several publications.
Antanas Škėma died in a car accident in Pennsylvania
on August 11, 1961.
n novel down a new path. The novel traces the route towards madness
of a poet named Antanas Garšva who, like Škėma, works as an elevator operator. The author discloses the character of Garšva and his tragic experiences.
The style of Antanas Škėma is very particular, full of unexpected metaphor
and subconscious
. Nevertheless, there are stylistic contrasts also: lyric and aesthetically
delicate confessions are suddenly followed by coarse, cynical images and rude words. He often plays with the sounds of language, disengaging phonemes from their literal meaning, as if to suggest a more transcendent meaning to the sounds. He's sometimes referred to as Lithuanian Albert Camus
.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, stage actor and director. His best known work is the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
The White Shroud (Balta drobulė).
Early life and career
Antanas Škėma was born on November 29, 1910 (according to his birth certificate in 1911) in Łódź, PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
where his father was sent to work as a teacher. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he lived in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
with his parents. In 1921, they all came back to Lithuania.
He attended high schools in Radviliškis
Radviliškis
Radviliškis is a city in the Radviliškis district municipality , Šiauliai County, Lithuania. Radviliškis has been the administrative center of the district since 1950, and is an important railway junction.-History:...
and Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
. In 1929, he entered the University of Lithuania medical faculty, but in 1931 he transferred his studies to the Faculty of Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. At the time university was renamed to Vytautas Magnus University
Vytautas Magnus University
Vytautas Magnus University ) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the interwar period as an alternate national university...
.
In 1935 he entered the theater studio directed by V.Sipavičius-Fedotas. While attending the studio he was also accepted to the Lithuanian State Theatre in Kaunas - in 1936, Škėma started acting
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
on Lithuania's greatest stage. When he was in Kaunas he married Janina Solkeviciute, a Polish economist. From 1940 to 1944 he did work in Vilnius State Theater, at first as an actor, and later as a director. Škėma had parts in nearly every play of that time. His daughter, Kristina, was born in 1940 in Vilnius, days after the German occupation of the city.
In 1944, he left Lithuania for Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where he was involved in some artistic work with Lithuanian troupes, primarily in DP camps.
In 1949, Škėma left Europe for United States of America, and actively joined Lithuanian exile cultural and theatrical activities . He acted at the Chicago Theater and also in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's Drama Group performances.
In 1960-1961 he worked in the editorial office of Vienybė newspaper. In addition, he was lecturing, writing and printing articles about theater and literature in several publications.
Antanas Škėma died in a car accident in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on August 11, 1961.
Literary work
Škėma's only novel, "The White Shroud" (1958), aroused vivid literary discussions. Most of the literary critics considered "The White Shroud" an interesting literary experiment that tried to lead the LithuaniaLithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n novel down a new path. The novel traces the route towards madness
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
of a poet named Antanas Garšva who, like Škėma, works as an elevator operator. The author discloses the character of Garšva and his tragic experiences.
The style of Antanas Škėma is very particular, full of unexpected metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
and subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
. Nevertheless, there are stylistic contrasts also: lyric and aesthetically
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
delicate confessions are suddenly followed by coarse, cynical images and rude words. He often plays with the sounds of language, disengaging phonemes from their literal meaning, as if to suggest a more transcendent meaning to the sounds. He's sometimes referred to as Lithuanian Albert Camus
Albert Camus
Albert Camus was a French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century. In 1949, Camus founded the Group for International Liaisons within the Revolutionary Union Movement, which was opposed to some tendencies of the Surrealist movement of André Breton.Camus was awarded the 1957...
.