The exact date of the founding of the first Klaipėda theatre is unknown, around 18th century. A square building called the “Comedy House” is marked on the town plans near the castle moats and the Danė river, which was probably used for military purposes in the past. It stood on state land, for which the city paid taxes, which shows that the first Klaipėda theatre was owned by the magistrate. Some authors claim that the theatre at the Comedy House had been in operation since 1777, and that the Berlin theatre company performed there a little later. The further fate of the “Comedy House” is unknown. The site of the current Theatre Square was once the site of the Danė estuary marshes. 18th century. end – 19th. century beginning near the square, close to the Danė river, there was an old warehouse for the Rifle Battalion, which was adapted by the soldiers for training purposes. 1803 m. Vachsen, a merchant, built a new building for the soldiers and installed a theatre in the old one. After the death of the merchant Vachsen in 1814 the theatre building was sold and converted into a residential building.

Klaipėda Drama Theatre began in 1935, when the closed Šiauliai Theatre was moved to Klaipėda. The theatre was called Klaipėda State Theatre and operated until the spring of 1939 (until the annexation of the Klaipėda region). The first group of Lithuanian actors in Klaipėda Theatre was led by Juozas Stanulis. When director Romualdas Juknevičius staged H. Heyermans’ “Hope” in 1936, the theatre was hailed as extraordinary and superior to the Kaunas State Theatre.

Address: Teatro str. 2