The oldest professional drama theater in Latvia is 120 years old. In 1883, a small troupe of sixteen actors under the leadership of E. Lavrov presented to the public play by Shpazhinsky "General's wife". The success of the first performance inspired the troupe and during the first season more than sixty plays were staged. Among them were the best plays of Russian and foreign playwrights. In spite of all difficulties, the theater was constantly growing and developing. Such talented actors as P. Orlenev, E. Lepkovsky, A. Ridal, K. Nezlobin, N. Michailovsky worked in this theater and determined its growing popularity in the country.

    The performances staged by great art director K. Mardzhanov became classical examples of realistic staging. At the beginning of the 20th century Drama Theater was considered among the best provincial theaters in Russia. It had become a true school of realism, where the realistic representation of life combined with theatricality.

    In 1940, Latvia became part of the Soviet Union. The affiliation influenced the theater's fate drastically. Soviet ideology determined the work and repertoire of the theater. In spite of that, the troupe tried to preserve traditions of Russian drama. Outstanding directors V. Balyunas, S. Radlov, P. Homsky, A. Katz enriched the repertoire of the theater with brilliant Russian and foreign plays.

    The theater doesn't limit itself only to the genre of drama. Dialogue, music, dance, pantomime have already become an inseparable part of its spectaculars. The modern period of the theater development can be characterized with physiologism. It tries to penetrate into the inner world of a man, to understand motives of his behavior. The repertoire of the theater includes classical plays by Shakespeare, Chekhov, Turgenev, Bunin and experimental performances like plays by Bergman, Kokto, Norman, Berberova and others.