Rainis was the pen name of Janis Plieksans, who lived from 1865-1929 and who is described as "the most distinguished Latvian writer of all time" by the Latvian Institute. He was also known, according to the New Theatre Institute of Latvia web site, as "one of the most outstanding European playwrights of the first half of the 20th century - if we judge by the intensity of philosophical thought and uniqueness of style. Rainis' multilayered plays encompass Indo-European mythology, the cultures of Ancient Egypt and the Bible, modern philosophy, Latvian folklore, thus broadening his thought to the scale of the whole of mankind. Rainis deals with archetypal conflicts, but at the same time his plays are deeply national. One of the central themes is the man of the future, who would harmoniously unite the rational and the spiritual. The path leading to this ideal - through love, self-sacrifice and suffering - is the core of many Rainis' plays."

Rainis is further described on the Baltics Worldwide cultural tourism web site as "the Latvian Shakespeare. A playwright, poet and political activist, Rainis has had a monumental influence on Latvian culture. After the 1905 revolution, he fled to Switzerland, where he wrote many of his key works, like the play Uguns un Nakts (Fire and Night) - a commentary on Latvian society. His wife, Aspazija (1868-1943) was also a leading poet, and early Latvian feminist."