Expanding its long-standing commitment to theatre and to the initiatives of the Latvian Theatre Union, the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation is supporting the 2026 season of the TV programme “The Taste of Theatre”.
Produced by the Latvian Theatre Union, “The Taste of Theatre” has, for several years, documented the thoughts, experiences and stories of Latvia’s theatre professionals, creating a unique record of its time that captures the performing arts and the personalities behind them. The programmes are broadcast on Latvian Television and are also available online.
Unlike traditional interviews, “The Taste of Theatre” features conversations between artists themselves. Without haste, without pre-prepared answers, and often without boundaries between the professional and the personal. These are encounters in which artists speak not only about productions, roles and directing techniques, but also about life, relationships, doubts, burnout, inspiration, memories and dreams for the future.
While previous seasons more often brought together theatre personalities from different generations, the 2026 season offers a particularly engaging opportunity to observe conversations between artists of the same generation. “Contemporary theatre is changing rapidly – audiences are changing, working methods are evolving, the role of technology is expanding, and even our understanding of what theatre is continues to shift. That is why dialogue between artists who live in the same era, face similar challenges and search for answers to the same questions is becoming increasingly important. These conversations reveal both differences in experience and surprising similarities. They remind us that behind every role and every premiere is a person with their own story, their own doubts and their own perspective on the world. It is precisely this human dimension that gives the programme its greatest value,” say the programme’s creators.
The 2026 season of “The Taste of Theatre” features ten conversations bringing together 20 professionals from Latvia’s theatre and film industries – actors, directors, playwrights and producers. Among them are Māra Mennika and Ainārs Ančevskis, Matīss Kaža and Matīss Budovskis, Baiba Broka and Mārcis Broks, Pēteris Krilovs and Maija Doveika, Jūlija Berngardte and Mārtiņš Upenieks, Jānis Jarāns and Kristīne Veinšteina, Dārta Daneviča and Dainis Grūbe, Elīna Vāne and Imants Strads, Līga Liepiņa and Inga Misāne-Grasberga, Indra Roga and Kārlis Reijers.
“The Taste of Theatre” is both a portrait of Latvian theatre today and an opportunity to preserve living conversations with the artists who shape our cultural landscape for future generations. Significantly, the programme is filmed at the Eduards Smiļģis Theatre Museum of the Latvian Academy of Culture – a place of special importance to everyone who holds theatre close to their heart. “However, this is not a programme solely for theatre enthusiasts, but for anyone interested in people, the choices they make and the stories they tell. “The Taste of Theatre” is a series of conversations in which theatre becomes a lived human experience,” emphasises the programme’s creative team. The programme is created by Ojārs Rubenis, Kristīne Jansone, Andris Priedītis, Jēkabs Jozauskis and Māra Dzene.
