Funding has been cut in some theaters in Riga, primarily at the "Dailes" theater. It has had its state funding reduced by 276,205 euros.
As a result, some technical staff and even cleaners were laid off. Also, two legends of the theater – Mirdza Martinson and Olga Dreģe, who have been moved to non-staff positions.
Mirdza is 74 years old and has served in "Dailes" for over half a century. Olga Dreģe is 86 years old, has been in the theater for more than six decades, but remains in excellent shape, having played a small role in the play with Chulpan Khamatova "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead." Mirdza also had small roles.
However, in a conversation with bb.lv, the representative of "Dailes" opposed the wording of "dismissal," noting that the actress has been offered a work contract. That is – work on a contract basis, outside of the staff.
In recent years, Mirdza has been involved in only a few roles – as the grandmother of Eurydice in "Eurydice," as Poldi in "Leopoldstadt" by Tom Stoppard, and as Mrs. Elfriede Miller in "Three Comrades" by Erich Maria Remarque.
Mirdza is known for her star role in the film "Mirage," while Olga Dreģe is known for her roles in Latvian cinematic classics "The Devil's Servants at the Devil's Mill" and "The Limousine of the White Night." As it became known, both stars reacted calmly to the fact of being moved to non-staff positions, but still hope for some roles on a freelance contract basis. Moreover, they understand that they are already of age and need to make way for the young.
However, it is also not easy for the young in the "Dailes" theater. As a result of the cuts, young actress Lelde Dreimane was also affected, who said she would sue the theater's decision.
Half a Century in "Dailes"
Let’s not hide that this season marks already 53 years since young actress Martinson joined the theater troupe. When the half-century anniversary of her work in "Dailes" was celebrated, the actress was cautious about her creative plans, saying: "I already know that I will play two new roles, but for now, I don’t want to talk about it because I am superstitious. The main thing is that there will be roles."
In any case, there will be 33 actors remaining on the theater staff, and at the moment, no further cuts to acting positions are planned. A budget reduction for new productions is also anticipated – from 740,000 euros last year to 540,000 euros this year.
As for our beloved actress, Mirdza seems to have never been sad or despaired; she generally takes life philosophically and almost professionally engages in astrology. So – that’s how the stars aligned!
By the way, even when she was not in high demand at her home theater, she found a way out of the situation. For example, ten years ago, she performed her "two-person play" "Letters of Love" in a theater club-restaurant. She was in the image of an unrecognized artist from an aristocratic family. "A very nice, intimate place where you can talk about love...," the actress reasonably noted.
The director of this play, which initially ran on the chamber stage in "Dailes," was Peteris Gaudinsh, known to the wider public for his roles in the films "The Glass of Water," "The Theater," and "Ballad of the Brave Knight Ivanhoe." Peteris has long since stopped working in the theater, and his fate is mysterious – sometimes he lives in Prague, where he works as a guide, and sometimes he appears in some advertisements.
How are things in other Latvian theaters?
Due to a reduction in state funding by 200,000 euros, the Latvian National Theater is not laying anyone off, but plans to cover the missing amount by 2026 through its own income and by giving up part of the planned repairs and investments.
The New Riga Theater is also calm, not planning any layoffs or structural changes, although the funding may decrease by about 200,000 euros here as well. But that’s about 3% of the theater's budget.
However, those who got lucky during all these upheavals are the Latvian National Opera, which suddenly received 1.3 million USD from the inheritance of Professor Anita Rožlapa. In addition to the money, the theater received paintings from Latvian scenographer Peteris Rožlapa, created during his emigration. This is the largest donation in the history of the Opera.
