About Us
The Old Theatre of Vilnius (Old Theatre) has undergone multiple transformations in more than a century of its existence, shaped by various historical, political and cultural factors. Since the theatre’s inauguration in 1913 – initiated and funded by the local Polish community – the building has hosted various professional Polish acting companies. Later, the Opera and Ballet Theatre moved here from Kaunas, the National Drama Theatre operated within its walls, and for several seasons, the Youth Theatre staged its performances. Over the past four decades, this stage has been home to the team of former Russian Drama Theatre of Lithuania.
In 2022, in response to geopolitical events that have shaken the world, the venue in Jonas Basanavičius Street was renamed the Old Theatre of Vilnius by its founder, the Ministry of Culture. However, this change was neither reflected in the theatre’s charter, organisational structure, or repertoire – nor widely discussed in the public square.
We believe that the theatre – which over more than a century has been shaped in its own manner by artists representing various nations and cultures, speaking different languages, and promoting different artistic directions, forms of theatrical expression, fields, and genres – is akin to a living, dynamic organism whose development should be natural; whose changes in content should correlate with the shifting cultural and political paradigm, the evolving Lithuanian state, the city of Vilnius, and our society. In other words, we aim to create a kind of ‘theatre myth’ that would form the basis for the new theatre’s repertoire as well as its public image, and would serve as the rallying point for the new audience of the Old Theatre.
Therefore, as we contemplate the ethical and aesthetic foundation of the updated Old Theatre of Vilnius, as well as the possible directions for its development and expansion, we turn to the colourful and multifaceted history of the theatre in present-day Jonas Basanavičius Street (which is also a significant part of Vilnius’ history). We will not only strive to promote it, but also to explore and harness it, supplementing it in our own manner. In order to share the theatre’s key conceptual content and topical themes with as diverse an audience as possible, we intend to investigate innovative means of expression, hybrid forms that would organically combine the areas of performing arts that have reigned in the theatre’s repertoire at one time or another: drama theatre interpreting important literary works, musical theatre, opera, dance, cabaret, and other forms of performance art, as well as experimentation with workshops, physical theatre, etc.
In our vision, the Old Theatre is a multicultural, multi-genre space for stage creativity, focused not on the cultural needs of a single national or linguistic group, but rather on collaboration with the country’s largest national communities at different levels. Previously associated with a drama troupe and correspondingly fairly homogeneous content in Russian, the Old Theatre now intends to become a performing arts space that unites a broad diversity of segments: different fields and directions of performing arts as well as creators, performers, and audiences from various national communities, along with independent content producers and co-producers. We will pursue a hybrid theatre management model that would include a permanent drama troupe – which would remain the most significant shaper of the theatre’s content and style, but would nevertheless become one of the segments of the whole. We will also seek more intensive collaboration with the non-governmental sector, which would provide the troupe with new creative impulses, allow it to demonstrate its diverse talents, flexibility, and versatility, enabling it to be integrated more easily into the country’s overall performing arts field.
These changes will also provide an opportunity for Lithuania’s performing arts market to test a new theatre management model, which we hope will serve as a testing ground for management innovations as well as a donor of best practices for other state and independent organisations.
In our vision, the Old Theatre is a complex of performing arts with a broad creative profile and a permanent troupe, producing works of the highest artistic level in various fields of performing arts. Through its activities, the theatre reveals the identity of Vilnius as a multicultural, multilingual, constantly evolving city, while reflecting with its diverse content the Old Theatre’s history, the multifaceted nature of its activities and traditions. Through the flexibility of its management model, the venue is open to experiments, innovations, diversity, and collaboration in different formats.