What would the story of Mary of Egypt be, a woman from the 4th century AD, wandering through the contemporary urbanised “desert” and searching for liberation? Is there less violence in our civilised society today? Is it more empathetic or tolerant? As we are talking about human rights, woman’s situation and freedom, are we really free from the ancient patriarchal legacy?
The story of Mary of Egypt, surrounded by rumours and mysticism, is the starting point for the creators of the play. This woman, who had to sell her own body in 4th century Alexandria, set out with pilgrims to Jerusalem. However, the gates to the Holy Sepulchre were closed to her. After that, she wandered in the desert for a long time, searching for repentance and peace.
“Mary of Egypt is a woman that never gives up. She moves forward after having experienced horrific violence in her life. I relate to this woman a lot. I feel her; I see myself in her story. It is not just a role: my soul here flies into the abyss and creates a new life. This play helps me get back on my feet; may it also help others. It is a play about a woman. It is about me and about the women I love – my mother, my friends. About every woman who is hurt, sad, who feels pain, who feels betrayed, who suffers violence. I think there are so many women in the world who have experienced suffering and violence”, – says Eglė Jackaitė.
According to the creators of the play, today we can see every woman in Mary of Egypt: the mother, the daughter, the sister, and the wife, each of whom has to walk the sharp edge between saint and sinner every day.
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