Theatre History Overview - Part 32 - Estonian Theatre

Estonian theatre dates back to Estonian folklore when games and rituals were played to celebrate and commemorate. However, the foundation of a national theatre was not viable because of multiple foreign conquests since the 13th century.The first time that it was known that a play was performed was in the 16th century. Records show that there were plays performed on fast days and based upon Biblical subjects.

During the 17th century, theatre and the church diverged. Latin text was replaced with German text. In the 18th century, Russia brought August von Kotzebue (1761-1819) to Tallinn to work as an oficial. He was the first person to bring the Estonian language to the stage. In the 1870s a native Estonian theatre was founded. The Estonian poet Lydia Koidula (1843-1986) wrote and staged her plays. In the second half of the 19th century, theatre became extremely popular among Estonians.

During the early part of the 20th century, more theatres and and operas became professional. It is believed that Estonian Drama Theatre was founded in 1920. It was in this year that Dramastudio was born. During the 1940s, the war and Nazi occupation caused most theatre houses to lay in ruins. However, in 1949, Dramastudio Theatre started to function under the guidance of Estonia producer Paul Sepp. People who were in this group were educated with the knowledge and skills necessary for theatre.

After the death of Stalin in 1953, conditions for the theatre got even better. The 1960s saw new directors including Bertolt Brecht and Jerzy Grotowski. Then during the 1970s, the new trends in theatre became exhaustive, but there wasn't a huge loss of theatre because in 1985, theatre attendance equaled that of the Estonian population.

However, once Estonia's independence was declared in 1991, audiences started disappearing. In order to fight this phenomenon, Estonia had more original plays staged and developed government funds for the theatre. The theatre started providing work for around 2,000 people. Theatre in Estonia is still popular today.

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