näitekirjanik
A näitekirjanik, often translated as playwright or dramatist, is a writer who specializes in composing plays for theatrical performance. This literary craft involves creating dialogue, character descriptions, stage directions, and plot structures that are intended to be enacted by actors on a stage. The work of a näitekirjanik is inherently collaborative, as their written text serves as the foundation for a director's interpretation, actors' performances, and the technical elements of a production, such as set design, lighting, and sound.
The history of playwriting is as old as theater itself, with significant traditions developing in ancient Greece,