The Mestno gledališče ljubljansko (MGL) - the Ljubljana City Theatre - was founded in 1949 by the City of Ljubljana as the second drama theatre in Ljubljana. It began operating on a small, modest stage with a group of enthusiastic actors and students from the Academy of Dramatic Arts. 

Over the years, however, it expanded into a modern theatre company, which today includes 35 permanent and more than 40 guest actors. 

Financial support comes from three sources: the Ministry of Culture, the City of Ljubljana, and the theatre's own income. 

This theatre was among the first in former Yugoslavia to promote the works of playwrights such as Anouilh, Dürrenmatt, Frisch, etc., and today is generally renowned as being the theatre which specializes in staging plays from outside the Anglo-Saxon domain, i. e. from less accessible sources, such as works by: Nikolai Koljada, Per Olov Enquist, Lars Noren, Hrafnhildur Hagalín Guđmundsdóttir, Suzanne van Lohuizen, Janusz Głowacki, Mladen Popović, and others. 

In addition, the MGL has a policy of consistently nurturing contemporary Slovene drama (Evald Flisar, Matjaž Zupančič, Milan Jesih), while at the same time constantly taking on the challenge of the classic Slovene playwright, Ivan Cankar.

During each season, which lasts from September until June, the MGL stages up to 8 new productions, of which 6 are given on the veliki oder (large stage), two in the Mala scena (the studio theatre), and 3-4 are corpductions with non-government institutions. The theatre company tours frequently throughout Slovenia, and has recently begun appearing abroad ( the Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia...). 

In addition to the Slovene directors, the MGL also engages stage-directors from other countries (Czech Republic, Great Britain, Poland, Croatia, Iceland, Bulgaria, Macedonia...).