MEDIATHEK

Rimas Tuminas (b 1952) – Studied at the Lithuanian Conservatory, going on to graduate from the Faculty of Direction at Russia's State Academy of Theatrical Art (GITIS). His debut production, in the Lithuanian National Theatre, was Yordan Radichkov's play The Winter. His first production in Moscow was Osvald Zagradnik's Sonatina for a Peacock (1979) in the Stanislavski Theatre. From 1979-1990 he was a director at the Lithuanian State Academic Dramatic Theatre, from 1994-1999 its artistic head. In 1990 he founded and headed the State Small Theatre in Vilnius. In total, he has directed some forty productions in Russian and European theatres. In Tuminas' productions poetry prevails over a picture of real life, with the commonplace imperceptibly transforming itself into a poem. The director appears to retreat into the background in order to give space to the actors and their playful, improvised approaches to their roles. Since 2007 he has been the artistic head of the Vakhtangov Theatre.