# Jonas Vaitkus

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**Jonas Vaitkus** (born 20 May 1944) is a Lithuanian theatre and film director, and academic.

## Early life and education

Jonas Vaitkus was born on 20 May 1944 in [Lithuania](/source/Lithuania).[1]

From 1969 to 1974, he studied at the [Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music, and Cinema](/source/Leningrad_State_Institute_of_Theatre,_Music,_and_Cinema) in [Saint Petersburg](/source/Saint_Petersburg), Russia.[1]

From 1978 to 1980 he studied [cinematography](/source/Cinematography) for two years at the [All-Union State Institute of Cinematography](/source/All-Union_State_Institute_of_Cinematography) (VGIK).[1][a]

## Career

From 1974 to 1975 he was chief of the Šiauliai Drama Theatre.[1]

Between 1977 and 1988, he was director and then chief director of [Kaunas State Drama Theatre](/source/Kaunas_State_Drama_Theatre), and from 1989 to 1995 was the artistic director of the [Lithuanian National Drama Theatre](/source/Lithuanian_National_Drama_Theatre).[1]

In 1980, he was appointed director of the [Lithuanian Film Studios](/source/Lithuanian_Film_Studios), and in 1988 started lecturing at the Department of Acting at the [Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre](/source/Lithuanian_Academy_of_Music_and_Theatre) (Lithuanian State Conservatory).[1]

From 1990 to 1995 he was artistic director of the Lithuanian State Academic Drama Theatre. During this time, in 1991, he was Visiting Lecturer in Performing Arts at [Emerson College](/source/Emerson_College), a private university in [Boston](/source/Boston), [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts), U.S., and from 1992 to 1993, visiting lecturer in acting at the visiting lecturer in acting at [Statens teaterhøgskole](/source/Statens_teaterh%C3%B8gskole) (now Oslo National Academy of the Arts), in [Oslo](/source/Oslo), Norway.[1]

In 2008, he was appointed director of the [Russian Drama Theatre of Lithuania](/source/Russian_Drama_Theatre_of_Lithuania) in [Vilnius](/source/Vilnius).[2]

Vaitkus has mentored a number of actors and directors, including director [Oskaras Koršunovas](/source/Oskaras_Kor%C5%A1unovas)[citation needed] and actress [Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė](/source/Ingeborga_Dapk%C5%ABnait%C4%97).[3] He has directed several films, including *[Utterly Alone](/source/Utterly_Alone)* (*Vienui vieni*; 2004) and *A Thrush, a Green Bird* (*Drozd - ptakha zelyonaya*; 1990).

In February 2018, following the worldwide spread of the [Me Too movement](/source/Me_Too_movement) Vaitkus was publicly accused of sexual harassment or assault by some of his former students. He has denied the allegations, claiming instead that this is a defamation campaign carried out by [Russian propaganda](/source/Russian_propaganda).[4]

## Awards and nominations

Vaitkus has won several awards including:[1]

- 1987: Lithuanian State Award
- 1990: "Scotsman Fringe First Award", [Edinburgh Fringe](/source/Edinburgh_Fringe), Scotland
- 1990: "Golden Fleece" award for the best [musical film](/source/Musical_film) at the International Musical Film Festival in [Tbilisi](/source/Tbilisi), Georgia
- 1996: St. Christopher Award for the best director of the year
- 2004: National Award
- 2008: Nominated, Best Male Supporting Actor in [Sidabrinė gervė](/source/Sidabrin%C4%97_gerv%C4%97_2008), for *[Perlas](/source/Perlas)*

## Footnotes

1. Bio says "State Cinematography Committee in Moscow" - but unlikely to be anything else.

## References

1. (in Lithuanian) [PERSONALIJA -Jonas VAITKUS](https://web.archive.org/web/20110722153640/http://www.teatras.lt/person_item.php?strid=1031&id=1418). [Lithuanian National Drama Theatre](/source/Lithuanian_National_Drama_Theatre) (archived 22 July 2011)

1. ["Lithuanian Russian Dramatic Theatre"](https://www.theatre-architecture.eu/en/db/?theatreId=2348). *Theatre Database*. Retrieved 10 January 2024.

1. Taylor, R.; Wood, N.; Graffy, J.; Iordanova, D. (2019). [*The BFI Companion to Eastern European and Russian Cinema*](https://books.google.com/books?id=JGr8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1979). Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 1979. ISBN 978-1-83871-849-7. Retrieved 6 January 2024.

1. ["Lithuanian theatre director Vaitkus dismisses sexual harassment allegations as defamation"](https://en.delfi.lt/lithuania/society/lithuanian-theatre-director-vaitkus-dismisses-sexual-harassment-allegations-as-defamation.d?id=77100641)

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