10. Juozas Miltinis Drama Theater

About

The Juozas Miltinis Drama Theater was the first to be built and opened (February 17th, 1968) in soviet Lithuania. Although building theatres was prohibited at the time and officially the project was being done for the construction of a “cultural centre”, the architect Algimantas Mikėnas extensively consulted with the legendary theatre director Juozas Miltinis when preparing his design.

Since the edifice was somewhat drawn back, compared to the building line of other structures in Laisves square, the eastern part of the square layout was disrupted and the new, irregularly shaped space was formed in front of the main entrance. The early modernist building differs from its surroundings in its shape and materials – horizontal lines made of glass and metal and grey minimalist granite plaster walls.

Northern façade is decorated with a subtle metal relief titled “Kūrybos genijus” (Creative Genius) which was created by Jonas Kėdainis. The architect of the building himself created a bas-relief “Juozo Miltinio dramos teatras” which adorns the main entrance. The imposing presence of the structure is further strengthened by the tower, on which the flag of Lithuania was flown for the first time before the restoration of independence.

The openness of the façade continues on the inside, where the lobby is connected to the spacious two-story foyer. From here, the two-way entrance leads to the hall where the intimate atmosphere invites to pay close attention to everything happening on the stage. The division and shape of the ceiling (mainly lighting and acoustic solutions) match with the look of the interior. Timber-decorated walls, imitating the look of aged oak siding provide the feel of cosiness to the otherwise small hall. The main exterior and interior solutions of the building’s construction fit with each other and can be seen by every visitor to the theater.

We kindly invite you to participate in guided tours of “Pastatai kalba” festival and to see and hear, what kind of world hides behind the grey stage curtain.