Estonian Theatre Subject of February 15 Presentation

SALISBURY, MD---The theater of Estonia--one of the Baltic states formerly occupied by the Soviet Union but now a democratic republic--is the topic of a brief talk by Liina Jaats of the Estonian Higher Theater School (HTS).   

She speaks on Thursday, February 15, at 7 p.m. in the Holloway Hall Social Room at Salisbury State University.  Her presentation and questions and answers following will be approximately 45 minutes.  Admission is free and the public is invited.  

Her visit is co-sponsored by the Maryland National Guard State Partnership for Peace Program, which is working to build economic, educational and cultural ties to Estonia, and by SSU's Bobbi Biron Theatre Program.  According to Maryland National Guard officials, "We want to maximize the potential relationships between Estonia and Maryland for the benefit of both states.  One of the best ways of doing this is bringing Estonians and Marylanders together. We hope this will be just the beginning of many visits by Estonian artists and scholars to Maryland, and in turn, of Marylanders to Estonia."   The Guard believes this process will help build strong democracies in Central Europe.

Jaats, who is age 26, is assistant to the director of the Estonian Higher Theater School, the premier actor and director training institution in her country (part of its famed Academy of Music).   She is in the U.S. for six weeks to study theater history teaching methods at New York University.  She is completing her master's degree at the University of Tartu, the most prominent in Estonia and one of the oldest universities in Europe (founded 1632).  Tartu is also a sister city of Salisbury.  Her thesis will be used by HTS students as a study aide. She will teach theater history at the HTS after she completes her master's.  

During the Soviet occupation theater served as a subtle medium of protest and was quite popular.  In the more open society which has followed, theater has tried to find other roles, which is leading to investigation of Western theater traditions.  

For more information on the Jaats visit, call SSU Public Relations at 410-543-6030 or visit the SSU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.