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The art of theatre is one of the most influential areas in Lithuanian art and culture. It has been doing a tremendous impacton cultural and artistic life and society in Lithuania. The State is committed to promotion and support of the distribution of professional theatre and artists, contributing to the image of the Lithuanian theatre.

The organizational theatre system in Lithuania is divided into the State-supported, municipal, private or non-governmental, and amateur theatres. Lithuania has 13 State theatres, including 8 drama, 2 puppet and 3 music theatres. Two theaters have been given a National Theatre status, i.e. the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, and Lithuanian National Drama Theatre.

The State-run, as well as municipal theatres are functioning in all larger Lithuanian towns (Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Marijampolė and Alytus). All State theatres are provided with the premises (buildings) of their own.

Every State-run theatre stages 3 to 6 new performances during a season. All in all about 60 new plays appear on stages of the State theatres in Lithuania within a season. The annual audience number in the State theatres is about half a million.

After Lithuania has regained its independence, alternative legal entities (not only private theatres, but also NGOs) emerged on the theatre scene. Some of the Lithuanian non-governmental theatres are well-known and popular not only in Lithuania, but also abroad. It is worth mentioning such companies as Meno Fortas founded by one of the most famous Lithuanian theatre directors Eimuntas Nekrošius, and Oskaro Koršunovo Teatras founded by director Oskaras Koršunovas, probably the most talented director of the young generation in the country. The State provides its support to the private and non-governmental theatres by allocating funds through separate support schemes to allow the ones to implement specific creative projects and stage new performances.

The Lithuanian theatrical art has been widely represented abroad. Performances staged by prominent Lithuanian directors, such as Eimuntas Nekrošius, Rimas Tuminas, Jonas Vaitkus, Oskaras Koršunovas, and Gintaras Varnas (this list can be added), are invited to different prestigious international theatre festivals and often win the highest prizes there, whereas these directors receive proposals to direct plays on the stages of foreign theatres.

The Board of experts formed of theatre, music and dance critics make a selection of the best performers of professional theatre within each theatrical season. The winners of this nomination receive monetary prizes and the Golden Cross of the Stage. The nominees are announced and awarded on the International Theatre Day, March 27.

To encourage the processes of development of new national drama, the Ministry of Culture has established the annual prize for the best national theatrical play staging.