- Place
- Telšiai District Municipality
- Region
- Samogitia
- Type
- active municipal amateur drama theatre and performance venue
- Address
- 18 Respublikos Street, LT-87333 Telšiai
- Coordinates
- 55.98172, 22.24522
- Visit duration
- 15 minutes for the façade or about 2-3 hours with an event
- Best time
- the confirmed time of a performance, festival, or tour
Žemaitė Drama Theatre
A working theatre on Respublikos Street
Žemaitė Drama Theatre is a municipal cultural institution and an active stage rather than a permanent exhibition. Its programme ranges across national drama, comedy, poetry and dance theatre, work by child and youth companies, visiting productions, and festivals. The exact offering depends on the date.
Entry to the building normally comes with a ticket for a specific event or a separately announced activity. If you want more than a look at the façade, choose an event in the official calendar first. The website also provides a 360-degree virtual tour.
Lithuanian performances beginning in 1907
The tradition is dated to 2 August 1907. After the Parcinkulė feast, two comedies, Žilė galvon - velnias uodegon and Velnias spąstuose, were staged in empty barracks beside Lake Mastis. The organiser and director was P. Vaseris, a Kyiv medical student who also attended drama classes, encouraged by mayor Feliksas Milevičius.
On 2 August 1908, the same enthusiasts staged Trys mylimos and Valsčiaus sūdas in a fire brigade shed. That evening stimulated the Kanklės society, whose permanent drama section rehearsed in private homes and rented halls because it had no theatre building of its own.
A Samogitian voice and amateur-theatre achievement
A Poetry Theatre was formally established here in 1990, while later productions of Žemaitė strengthened the national-drama and Samogitian-language strand. Laimutė Pocevičienė received the Borisas Dauguvietis Prize for her production of Piršlybos, which also toured Lithuanian communities abroad.
The child and youth studio Aglija won the main prize at an AITA/IATA festival in Morocco with M in 1999 and received Lithuania's Golden Bird award. Such achievements explain why this theatre matters less for architectural grandeur than for its enduring community school and international touring history.
Tickets, box office, and arrival
The official box-office page says tickets are sold at the theatre and online. On 21 July 2026 it listed closure on Monday, hours of 11:00-13:00 and 16:00-18:00 Tuesday-Thursday, 11:00-13:00 and 15:00-16:45 Friday, and opening one hour before weekend events. Hours and prices can change, so check the official page before travelling.
The map point marks the main entrance at 18 Respublikos Street. Steps and a ramp lead to the façade, but contact the theatre before purchase about seating, assistance, or other access needs. Arrive 20-30 minutes before a performance, especially when collecting a ticket at the box office.
