Lithuanian writer, one of the pioneers of drama in Lithuanian language.
Graduated from Kražiai College. Worked in the Raseiniai Land Court, Kaunas Governor's office. He bought the Gongailiškiai homestead and worked as a farmer. He was in contact with S. Stanevičius, M. Davainis-Silvestraitis. He collaborated in the newspapers "Aušra", "Vienybė lietuvninkų", "Unija". In his writing, he collected the jargon of the beggars of the Raseiniai district.
Writing was encouraged by Vincas Kudirka, who in 1893 announced a competition for the creation of dramas in his newspaper "Varpe". The historical plays romanticise the past of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and awaken national consciousness. Folklore and mythological plays raise the ideas of love of neighbour and freedom. Domestic plays depict social phenomena of the time, the 1863 uprising. Comedy pokes fun at moral vices. The dramas were performed by amateur theatres in Lithuania, Russia and the Lithuanian colonies in the USA. The stories depict a serf village, the officialdom, and are rich in descriptions of rural life and ethnography, with a strong didacticism. He also wrote poems, short stories, journalistic articles, translated parts I, II, IV of A. Mickevičius' poem "Vėlinės".
