Theatre and its time

Šiaulių dramos teatras daugiau nei kuris kitas Lietuvos teatras yra susijęs su reikšmingais istoriniais ir visuomeniniais lūžiais. Antrasis profesinis teatras, atsiradęs 4-ojo dešimtmečio pradžioje kaip kultūrinio stabilumo reiškinys, jau 1935 m. atsidūrė dramatiškų politinių įvykių epicentre ir pirmasis pajuto Antrojo pasaulinio karo smūgius kaip Klaipėdos krašto pabėgėlis. Netektys ir žaibiški pokyčiai nulėmė šio teatro specifiką - nuolatinę kūrybinio gyvenimo ir meninių jėgų kaitą bei atsinaujinimą.Each theatre, like a man, has its own history. Seven decades of the existence of the Šiauliai Drama Theatre -the so-called "provincial theatre" - are not an exception. This company, more than any other Lithuanian centre of the art of theatre, had to experience the effects of the great historical events of the 20th century. The fate has thrown it in the vortex of political events and this has left marks on the theatre's face, character, and creative work. Even the general tendencies of cultural life and changing aesthetic attitudes assume different forms of expression and break along different lines in the life of each individual theatre, not to mention the exceptional events among which the Šiauliai Drama Theatre had to live its life. The developments of aesthetic thought manifested themselves on the stage of the Šiauliai theatre in an uneven manner. This was influenced by external factors - circumstances and personalities. Nevertheless, the Šiauliai Drama Theatre has found its place among other theatres and maintains its exceptional position up to now: it is a kind of a starting pole for the majority of Lithuanian stage artists, serving as a place of testing and exercise. The permanent alternation of artistic directors and changing tendencies have toughened the actors and endowed them with flexibility, openness, receptivity, and resolution to meet innovations and challenges