Theatre actress, director, writer, pedagogue (1927-2017). Venta Vecumniece was born in Daugavpils on December 3, 1927. Her father was the conductor of Daugavpils Garrison Orchestra. Her family lived in the territory of Daugavpils fortress. Venta Vecumniece studied at Daugavpils Secondary School No. 2, Jekabpils State Commercial School, and the State Trade Technicum. In 1949, she graduated from the “Dailes Theatre” and since 1949 her career was many times connected with this theatre. Work in “Dailes Theatre” started with a role of a teenage girl Andra in A. Brodele’s play “Zelta druva”. Later she moved to Moscow to study directing at the State Theatre Institute, graduated with excellence in 1956, and returned to the “Dailes Theatre” already with a diploma. She worked side by side with Eduards Smilgis, creating her own performances (1956-1970) – E. de Filippo’s “Stigliano Family”, N. Pogodin’s “Young Student”, J. Smuul’s “”The Colonel’s Widow”, J. Lusis’ “At the “Black Woodgrouse”’ and other. In 1959, Venta Vecumniece was appointed as the director of Daugavpils theatre. At the theatre season 1959/1960, several new productions were made with the theatre’s Russian troupe: M. Shatrov’ “On Behalf of the Revolution” and A. Salinskis’ “The Drummer”.
Venta Vecumniece has staged about 85 performances for “Dailes Theatre” and other theatres, has played more than 100 plays in theatre, cinema, TV and radio. Starting from 1970s she has created bright roles for “Dailes Theatre” plays. Venta Vecumniece was the brightest performer of boy roles in Latvian theatres. Later she became an excellent character and heroic roles performer. She has been a teacher for actors and directors Olga Drege, Leons Krivans, Ilze Vazdika, Arnold Linins, Mihails Kublinskis, Janis Streics, and other.
Since 2004 he took part in TV series “Dzīvīte, dzīvīte…”, and “Neprāta cena”. In 2011 she was awarded with the National Cinema prize “Lielais Kristaps”. She also played a role of Veronika in TV series “Ugunsgrēks” and took part in LNT (Latvian National Television) TV series “Bitīt’ matos”. In 2004 Vecumniece was awarded with a lifetime scholarship from the Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, but in 2010 she was awarded with the Order of the Three Stars. The artist was a member of the Board of Veterans of the Latvian Theatre Union and the Latvian Theatre Commission.
Venta Vecumniece died on May 27, 2017, and was buried in the Forest Cemetery in Riga.