Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,435. It is 186 kilometres southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the two largest lakes in Estonia, Lake Võrtsjärv and Lake Peipus. From the 13th century until the end of the 19th century, Tartu was known in most of the world by variants of its historical name Dorpat.
Vanemuine is a theatre in Tartu, Estonia. It is the first Estonian language theatre. Stemming from the Vanemuine Society (1865), the theatre's first performance was Lydia Koidula's Saaremaa Onupoeg at the society's fifth anniversary. In subsequent years, Vanemuine has expanded to include a symphony orchestra and ballet company, while its repertoire has included a range of operettas and music theatre through operas and dramas. Under Karl Menning, the theatre served a vocational purpose, with a great emphasis on educating future talent. Subsequent directors prioritized entertainment value, while Kaarel Ird—who led Vanemuine for more than forty years—oversaw a blend of genres as welll as tours of the Soviet Union. In recent years, content has varied extensively.
I Am 13 Years Old is a 1980 play by Merle Karusoo. This is the first of a series of plays representing Karusoo's 'memory theatre' based on documentary material.
Ain Lutsepp is an Estonian actor and politician.
Ülle Kaljuste is an Estonian stage, film, television and radio actress.
Anu Lamp is an Estonian stage, film, television and voice actress, stage director, translator and instructor.
Ursula Ratasepp is an Estonian stage, film and television actress.
Merle Palmiste is an Estonian stage, film and television actress.
Silvia Laidla was an Estonian stage, television and film actress whose career spanned nearly six decades. Primarily a stage actress, she also appeared in several Estonian television series and motion pictures.
Vallo Kirs is an Estonian stage, film, and television actor and stage director whose career began as a teenager in 2004. Kirs is possibly best recalled internationally for his role as Kaspar in the 2007 Ilmar Raag-directed feature film drama Klass.
Merle Jääger is an Estonian television, stage and film actress, poet and author who frequently uses the pen name Merca. Initially associated with the burgeoning Estonian punk rock scene of the early to mid 1980s, she has been described as the "bard of protest". Her career as an actress began in her early 20s and she has received a number of high-profile awards for stage roles.
Merle Talvik is an Estonian stage, film and television actress whose career began in the mid-1970s.
Paul Poom is a former Estonian stage, film, television, and radio actor whose career began in the late 1970s and ended in 1993 after an assault left him permanently disabled.
Kalju Orro is an Estonian stage, film and television actor, acting instructor, lecturer, theatre producer, and pedagogue.
Eero Spriit, is an Estonian actor, theatre producer and director, and film and television producer. Spriit's career as an actor began in the early 1970s.
Aare Laanemets was an Estonian actor and theatre director, who is possibly best recalled for his role as Joosep Toots in three film adaptations of novels penned by author Oskar Luts: Kevade (1969), Suvi (1976), and Sügis (1990). Laanemets' career began as a teenager and he worked steadily as an adult as a stage, film, and television actor until his death in 2000, aged 46. In 1984, he co-founded the Pärnu School Theatre, where he worked as an instructor and stage director.
Anne Lill is an Estonian classical philologist and translator. She is Professor Emeritus at the University of Tartu.
Maarja Jakobson is an Estonian television, stage and film actress whose career began in the late 1990s.
Tiina Mälberg is an Estonian actress.
Helena Merzin-Tamm is an Estonian actress.
