A drama group was established in Jurbarkas in 1954. In 1959 the drama group was awarded the name of the Folk Theatre at Jurbarkas cultural centre. In commemoration of the 110th anniversary of director Konstantinas Glinskis, Jurbarkas Folk Theatre was given the name of Konstantinas Glinskis Theatre. The theatre has participated in various festivals in Denmark, Germany, Russia, France, Latvia, Estonia and the USA. Through the efforts of the team, amateur and professional theatre projects, educational programmes, seminars, exhibitions are organized. The theatre’s repertoire is based on the works of the authors reflecting the traditions and customs of the Panemunė region. In 2011 Konstantinas Glinskis Amateur Theatre was recognized as the best amateur theatre and won “Auksinė Paukštė” (“The Golden Bird”) nomination.

“Gudri našlė”/ “The Smart Widow”

The play „The Smart Widow“ by the pioneer of Lithuanian dramaturgy, Aleksandaras Fromas-Gužutis, is unique because it is the first comedy published in Lithuanian language, in which jokes are made on people’s sins and moral defects. With the help of bright and comic roles, the play reveals a wide social spectrum of the characters. The play is full of Lithuanian folklore: songs, incantations, proverbs and sayings.

Today’s current life is reflected in the Smart Widow, one of the most known writer’s comedy of the 19th century.
Kotryna is a widow, lives with three teenage sons, owns a farm and works a lot. The sons are not very hardworking and sometimes worries their mother. The widow would like to find a hard-working husband to help her with farm works, but every man needs only a rich woman. The widow deceives her maid, fills a clay pot with sand, adds silver money on top, puts it under the bed. The maid finds the pot ant tells everyone in the town, so the rumor spreads that Kotryna is a very rich widow. Grooms begin to come to Kotryna. Barsukov, the teacher, comes first. All he cares about is Kotryna’s pot of money, but he knows how to speak well and be attentive. Another groom, a veterinarian who travels through villages treating people’s farm animals. The third groom, called Bitė, is a sensitive, sincere person who really cares about Kotryna. The three grooms who compete with each other, try to perform as best as possible in front of Kotryna. Who will she choose?
There are three women who help Kotryna with household and on the farm. At the same time young unmarried women enjoy life and, when they find the opportunity, engage in spells and incantations against diseases and present all kinds of tests to the men who would like to marry the widow.
The character of the play, the Rooster, appears in various life situations as a warning to all people, to be guided by reason, to get knowledge from your elders, to love nature, to believe in people’s kindness, hard work and harmonious family life.

Language: Lithuanian / Duration: 60 min

Author: Aleksandras Fromas-Gužutis / Director: Albertas Vidžiūnas / Cast: Danutė Samienė, Indrė Kateivė, Violeta Greičiūnienė, Rūta Lukšienė, Angelina Reičiūnienė, Jonas Mockus, Vytautas Bacevičius, Kęstutis Matuzas, Albertas Vidžiūnas