Interpretation of the Text in the Manifesto of Struggle

Abstract

The 2020s in Georgia will go down in history as a time of deep crisis and intensified political confrontation. Among Tbilisi’s theatres, the most distinguished and highly professional state theatre — the New Theatre named after Vaso Abashidze — is in a dire situation: its director has been dismissed, and a leading actor imprisoned. And yet, this theatre had produced high-quality artistic performances, and it remains uncertain whether these productions will return to the repertoire or if audiences will ever have the chance to see them again. This makes the analysis of two productions particularly significant, as they serve as case studies for exploring the issue of interpretation. These performances from the New Theatre’s repertoire are undoubtedly among the most important examples of contemporary Georgian stage art.

Dimitris Dimitriadis’s 1978 novel "I’m Dying Like a Country" is an extraordinary work that captures both spiritual and state-level crisis. Dimitriadis is rightfully considered one of the greatest writers of our time. The novel has been staged in numerous countries, and wherever it has been performed, audiences have felt it told their story — Greeks saw it as Greek, Poles as Polish, and now Georgians view it as a deeply Georgian tale. The production raises questions such as: how do people flee abroad in order to survive? How does a country become emptied? What consequences follow such policies?

The aim of this study is to analyze how the novel's problems are adapted to Georgian reality, and how director Mikheil Charkviani has turned it into a high-level artistic production.

Before the elections — and thus before the crisis — the New Theatre’s last premiere was "Bluebeard" directed by Andriy Zholdak. No one can convince me that when we were children and heard Charles Perrault's Bluebeard, we weren't afraid — and yet still wanted to peek into that mysterious room. The growing of Bluebeard’s beard stuck in my mind as a kind of mystical horror, an omen of inevitable misfortune. A performance titled "Bluebeard" directed by Zholdak naturally sparked great interest among Georgian audiences.

Andriy Zholdak is justly considered one of the most provocative directors of our time. This was the third time Tbilisi audiences had encountered his work, and each production had been radically different — even scandalous. Zholdak’s Bluebeard is based on the poetry of Louise Glück, a Nobel Prize-winning female poet, and Federico García Lorca’s "Blood Wedding". The central theme of Lorca's play — the love triangle — forms the main plotline of Zholdak’s phantasmagoria in the first part of the performance.

How is Bluebeard transformed, and how do his relationships with the characters from Blood Wedding develop? These are the questions explored in this presentation. However, Bluebeard — played by Shako Mirianashvili — is a symbolic character: he does not literally grow a beard, and the femicide unfolds without bloodshed.

The set designer of "Bluebeard" is Daniil Zholdak. The blending — or more precisely, synthesis — of styles is a fundamental principle in the visual realization of the performance.

Zholdak’s second production on the Georgian stage was a major success.

These two performances clearly demonstrate the importance of intercultural dialogue in 21st-century theatre. Theatre without borders — this may well be the most desirable concept in modern art, offering infinite opportunities for interpretation of the same text.

And yet, once again, we face a harsh reality: the New Theatre will go down in Georgian theatre history as a theatre of struggle. Under the leadership of then-artistic director David Doiashvili, the troupe toured all over Georgia, presenting a manifesto of the fight for freedom. But this was not just a political struggle — through its remarkable productions and deeply thought-out civic stance, the New Theatre was engaged in an intellectual war from the very beginning. We hope that its beloved repertoire will be restored, giving audiences another chance to experience it.

References:

1. Anastasia Cherentsova, "Why Bluebeard?" — Georgian Theatre Electronic Archive, https://www.theatrelife.ge/rartomlurjcvera
2. Lasha Chkhartishvili, Zholdak's Next Madness, Georgian Theatre Electronic Archive, https://www.theatrelife.ge/joldaki
3. Zuka Nemsadze, Andriy Zholdak's Gaslighting or Psychological Manipulation, Georgian Theatre Electronic Archive, https://www.theatrelife.ge/andrijoldakis