Performance Exchange with the Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica

    In January 2020, Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili Professional State Drama Theatre became the member of the European Theatre Convention - the largest network of public theatres in Europe. The ETC has about 40 European Members from over 20 countries, reflecting the diversity of Europe’s vibrant cultural sector. Founded in 1988, the ETC promotes European theatre as a vital platform for dialogue, democracy and interaction that responds to, reflects and engages with today’s diverse audiences and changing societies.

    Within the framework of ETC’s Performance Exchange Programme, on November 22 and 23, the Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili Professional State Drama Theatre will perform two of its highly acclaimed performances in the SNG Nova Gorica – DUPLET, based on Vaclav Havel’s Audience and Harold Pinter’s One for the Road, and Frenzy for Two, based on Frenzy for Two or More by Eugène Ionesco, director - Konstantine Abashidze.

    Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili Professional State Drama Theatre will be hosting the guest performances of SNG Nova Gorica, Slovenia in May, 2022.

The guest performance is supported by the European Theatre Convention in the frame of ETC's ENGAGE programme. ENGAGE - Empowering today's audiences through challenging theatre is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Pandemic and plans for the next season

     On March 3, 2020, the Meskhishvili Theatre officially made a decision and informed the audience that due to the given situation and for pandemic prevention it would stop showing performances for two weeks, until March 17. First, March 17 was postponed to April 1, and then until an indefinite date.  The worldwide pandemic, naturally, has had a negative impact on theatre life, both morally and financially. During the difficult days of self-isolation, the Meskhishvili Theatre kept in touch with its audience with a "new product" - videos, poems, prose, songs recorded by the actors in their houses. On July 19, 2020, the theatre closed the season in the open air at the central entrance, with a musical performance The Bremen Town Musicians. Of course with the plans for the new season.

      The 2020-21 season is a jubilee season for the Meskhishvili Theatre. The opening will take place on the 26th of September. Many events are planned: the season will be opened with the premiere of "Your Majesty!" (Director - Konstantine Abashidze).  The celebration of March 27, which is annually organized by the Georgian Theatrical Society, will be held on September 26 at the Meskhiskhishvili Theatre, also an award - "The Best of the Year" will be held on the same day,  where the Grand Prix for the best performance will be given to the Meskhishvili Theatre for its performance "The Wind in the Poplars" (Director - Nino Maglakelidze, actors-Sulkhan Gogolashvili, Zviad Svanadze, Davit Roinishvili). There will be an official presentation of the Green Theatre - a new, open space. As for the rest of the performances,  they have been put into production and work is underway on six new performances.

Nugzar Lortkipanidze

“Your Majesty!”

Based on the short story by Gilbert Cesbron

Psychological Monodrama

Director – Konstantine Abashidze

Designer – Shota Glurjidze

Music – Givi Chlaidze

Assistant Director – Vakhtang Amanatidze

Cast:

The Barber – Zviad Svanadze

In memoriam: Nugzar Lortkipanidze

     Once upon a time, a law of freedom and equality established by God was first broken on the earth. A human used his power against the other and declared this “humane” act as his right and privilege.

      From that day on, the history of mankind unfolds against the heavy background of a struggle between the individual and the system, the person and the government, the conscious or the subconscious.

     The system will always do what we allow!

"Your Majesty!" is concerned with this most urgent and eternal problem. It is based on the short story by Gilbert Cesbron, and is an excellent psychological monodrama created by director Nugzar Lortkipanidze. Thus, this work formed the basis of a play created in the genre of political theater by director Kote Abashidze and actor Zviad Svanadze.

Meskhishvili Theatre play - “The Wind in the Poplars” won the annual competition Grand Prix of Creative Union - The Theatrical Society of Georgia

NNLE - Creative Union - The Theatrical Society of Georgia

Resolution

The annual prize of the NNLE - Creative Union - The Theatrical Society of Georgia

"Best Work of the Year 2020" to be awarded in the following nominations:

1)    For the best Georgian play of the year - "Odyssey" Avtandil Diasamidze (Youth Theatre)

2)    "Grand Prix" for the best performance of the year - "The Wind in the Poplars" Director: Nino Maghlakelidze,

Actors: Davit Roinishvili, Zviad Svanadze, Sulkhan Gogolashvili (Kutaisi Theatre)

3)    For the best directorial work of the year - "Open Verandah" Kakha Gogidze (Meskheti Theatre)

4)    For the best actor of the year - "Zoo Story" Andro Vachridze (Meskheti Theatre)

5)    For the best actress of the year - "Kiss" Tamar Mdinaradze (Ozurgeti Theatre)

6)    For the best supporting actor of the year - "kldiashvili.ge" Manuchar Shervashidze (Batumi Theatre)

7)    For the best supporting actress of the year - "Toast" Marina Arghutashvili (Gori Theatre)

8)    For the best young actor of the year (not more than 30 years old) - "Electrician" Valeri Koberidze (Rustavi Theatre)

9)    For the best young actress of the year (not more than 30 years old) - "Change it" Ketevan Luarsabishvili (Gori Theatre)

10) For the best scenographic work of the year - "The Happy Couple" Lomgul Murusidze (Rustavi Theatre)

11) For the best original music of the year - "Change it" Meri Beroshvili (Gori Theatre)

12) For the best choreographic work of the year - "Aladdin" Davit Metreveli (Youth Theatre)

13) For the original theatrical idea of the year and its implementation - "Odyssey" Avtandil Diasamidze (Youth Theatre)

14) For the best critical work (Review, Creative Portrait, etc.) of the year - Nodar Gurabanidze "Murder in Samanishvili Family", "Death of Akaki Akakich" (Theatrical Society)

Kutaisi Theatre became the full member of the European

Theatre Family!

Performance Exchange with the theatre space - TEO, Odessa, Ukraine

    In January 2020, Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili Professional State Drama Theatre became the member of the European Theatre Convention - the largest network of public theatres in Europe. The ETC has about 40 European Members from over 20 countries, reflecting the diversity of Europe’s vibrant cultural sector. Founded in 1988, the ETC promotes European theatre as a vital platform for dialogue, democracy and interaction that responds to, reflects and engages with today’s diverse audiences and changing societies.

    In the framework of the ETC’s Performance Exchange Programme Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili Professional State Drama Theatre will be hosting the guests from Odessa, Ukraine on May 6 and 7, 2020. TEO: theater space will present the performance: In the Basement to the Georgian audience, based on Svetlana Baskova’s play, directed by Ivan Orlenko.

    On May 18 and 19, 2020 Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili Professional State Drama Theatre will perform in the theater space TEO its two highly acclaimed performances - DUPLET , directed by Konstantine Abashidze, based on Vaclav Havel’s Audience and Harold Pinter’s One For the Road and The Truth by Florian Zeller, directed by Giorgi Shalutashvili.

The guest performance is supported by the European Theatre Convention in the frame of ETC's ENGAGE programme. ENGAGE - Empowering today's audiences through challenging theatre is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.