For Ausrine Stundyte, playing complex and emotionally charged roles is more about tapping into the power of adrenaline than finding catharsis. The Lithuanian soprano has built a career on portraying characters who are, to put it mildly, not exactly poster children for happiness and sweetness.
"I don't know how it is with you, but when I turned 30, it was a crisis," Stundyte admits, recounting the moments of existential angst that fueled her own creative growth. Now, at the cusp of 50, she's grappling with an entirely different kind of crisis: feeling empty and without direction after having fulfilled all her dreams.
Stundyte attributes this sense of disconnection to the elusive nature of immortality itself – a concept that has captivated humanity for centuries but remains largely unattainable. "How is your life that fantastic that you can't stop it?" she asks wryly, pointing out the absurdity of chasing an eternal existence.
For Stundyte, this existential anxiety is precisely what drives her to step into the shoes of characters like Emilia Marty in The Makropulos Case – a woman who has lived multiple lives thanks to an elixir of immortality. Playing these roles allows Stundyte to channel her own experiences with pain and trauma into her performance.
"I was very depressed and very unhappy, especially around the teenager period," she reflects on the darkness that has informed her work. "This incredible pain – I still remember it." And yet, in a striking twist, she reveals that this capacity for emotional depth is precisely what makes her so good at playing characters who have experienced immense suffering.
It's a peculiar paradox: one that challenges traditional notions of catharsis and highlights the value of embracing our own darkness as artists. Stundyte's response to the idea of theatre therapy – an approach that she believes could be more widespread in the performing arts – is both passionate and pragmatic. "I wish theatre therapy would be something more widespread," she exclaims, her enthusiasm momentarily eclipsing any residual vulnerability.
Ultimately, it's this willingness to confront our own pain and transform it into artistic fuel that sets Stundyte apart from many of her peers. Her performances are a testament to the power of adversity – one that is both deeply personal and universally relatable.
"I don't know how it is with you, but when I turned 30, it was a crisis," Stundyte admits, recounting the moments of existential angst that fueled her own creative growth. Now, at the cusp of 50, she's grappling with an entirely different kind of crisis: feeling empty and without direction after having fulfilled all her dreams.
Stundyte attributes this sense of disconnection to the elusive nature of immortality itself – a concept that has captivated humanity for centuries but remains largely unattainable. "How is your life that fantastic that you can't stop it?" she asks wryly, pointing out the absurdity of chasing an eternal existence.
For Stundyte, this existential anxiety is precisely what drives her to step into the shoes of characters like Emilia Marty in The Makropulos Case – a woman who has lived multiple lives thanks to an elixir of immortality. Playing these roles allows Stundyte to channel her own experiences with pain and trauma into her performance.
"I was very depressed and very unhappy, especially around the teenager period," she reflects on the darkness that has informed her work. "This incredible pain – I still remember it." And yet, in a striking twist, she reveals that this capacity for emotional depth is precisely what makes her so good at playing characters who have experienced immense suffering.
It's a peculiar paradox: one that challenges traditional notions of catharsis and highlights the value of embracing our own darkness as artists. Stundyte's response to the idea of theatre therapy – an approach that she believes could be more widespread in the performing arts – is both passionate and pragmatic. "I wish theatre therapy would be something more widespread," she exclaims, her enthusiasm momentarily eclipsing any residual vulnerability.
Ultimately, it's this willingness to confront our own pain and transform it into artistic fuel that sets Stundyte apart from many of her peers. Her performances are a testament to the power of adversity – one that is both deeply personal and universally relatable.
. all these expectations on her as a soprano, the pressure of performing, the emotional toll it takes... and now she's just feeling empty? i think its more than that... imo
, she's like a superhero for artists who don't fit into the traditional happy endings 
. I love how she's all about tapping into her own pain and trauma to fuel her performances – it's so inspiring! 
And can we talk about how refreshing it is that she's not afraid to get real about mental health? 
I wish more artists would take a page out of her book and be more open about their struggles. It's all about embracing our imperfections and using them to create something beautiful 
.
. She's proof that you don't have to fit into a certain mold to be an amazing artist, and that's something we can all learn from 
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I feel like Ausrine Stundyte's story is so inspiring! 
The fact that she's able to tap into her own pain and trauma to create such amazing performances is just mind-blowing. I think we all need a little bit of Stundyte in our lives right now 
Can't wait to see what she comes up with next! 
. I love how she talks about embracing our darkness as artists, it's so freeing 
. Theatre therapy is also something that resonates with me, maybe one day more people will see its value 
. Stundyte's story reminds us that vulnerability is strength and that sharing our struggles can be a powerful way to connect with others 
it's weird how artists tap into their dark side for creative fuel... 
. It's like, on the surface, it seems counterintuitive to find catharsis in playing roles that are so emotionally draining, but I think she's actually onto something 
. I think theatre therapy could be a game-changer in the performing arts, and Stundyte's passion for it is really inspiring 
. I think what I love most about her story is how she's turned her pain into something so powerful and beautiful... but also how it makes you realize just how messed up our lives can be 
. Theatre therapy sounds like a game-changer, though – we need more of that in the performing arts! 
the way she talks about playing complex characters who've been through trauma is like, totally my vibe rn 
it's crazy how some ppl find inspiration in pain but still manage to create something beautiful out of it 
, it was like she was channeling her own inner monarch or something 
. anyway back to Ausrine Stundyte, I feel her on this whole immortality thing, can you imagine having all that time and energy just... wasted 
, like puttin' on some Billie Eilish or The Weeknd and just let the beats wash over me 
. Stundyte's performance in The Makropulos Case sounds so intense and emotional, I can see why it'd be cathartic for her to tap into that kind of pain and trauma 
That's what makes her performances so powerful, you know? They're not just about portraying characters who are struggling - they're also about sharing her own journey with us.