Levan Khetaguri on Georgian theatre

(...) History of Georgian Theater takes his history from ancient times. You still could find remains of Greek and later Roman theater presence in artifacts (…) Georgia was rich with ritualistic, so call sacred theatre forms, some of them you still could follow in mountain part of Georgia, like Svaneti, Khevsureti etc. (…)

First information about professional theatre in Georgia we founded in 1790-ies. It was baroque /French style classicism/ theatre at the Georgian Royal Palace, in Tbilisi, during the King Erekle Second, we know that at the repertoire of the theatre was Jean Racine’s plays /particularly Phedre/, which was translated in Georgian language by prince Cholokashvili (…).

First Georgian professional plays appeared in 1820-ies. The stories were historical and patriotic one. Italian Opera in Tbilisi was opened in 1845, after burning first venue, in 1884 was build one of the beautiful opera venues, which still in the city center, so call Mauritanian style /mix of European and Oriental, with some Sufi elements in decoration/. First independent Georgian professional drama theatre was established and opened in Tbilisi 1851 by Giorgi Eristavi.

Levan Khetaguri, performing arts theoretician, Professor, Director of Arts Research
Institute of Ilia State University, Georgia

In 1879 by famous Georgian Intellectuals and writers was established Georgian Theatre Society and reopened national theatre, which later was called as Rustaveli National Theatre (…)

At the beginning of XX century Tbilisi was real cultural centre, bridge and crossroad for European and Asian cultures. In Tbilisi was created and developed performing arts education /1918/ through acting courses /Giorgi Jabadari/, movement /Jeanne de Salzmann/, sacred dances /Giorgi Gurdjieff /. Already Georgians who trained or studied in Europe or Russia returned back to create and developed national performing arts.

At the beginning of XX century in Georgia was more than 20 theatres, working on Georgian, Azerbaijanian, Armenian, Russian, English /British Sailors Theatre/, Shadow theatre Karagoz, street theatre companies and artists etc.

In Georgia was published few magazines dedicated to the problems of art and performing arts. In 1921 Georgia was occupied by Soviet Russia. During the Soviet time Georgian Theatre was one of the leading performing arts scenes. Many artists and intellectuals was arrested and killed by Soviet KGB.

It was necessary few decades to recover and start again experiments at the theatres. Few remarkable names of important Georgian directors: Sandro Akhmeteli /arrested in 1935, murdered in 1937/ Kote Marjanishvili, Giorgi Tovstonogov, Dodo Aleksidze, Mikheil Tumanishvili, Archil Chkhartishvili etc.

Several generations of Georgian Theatre directors and actors, play writers and stage designers keeping leading positions again mainly starting from 70-ies, after first repressions which Georgian Theatre faced in 30-ies, when leading artistic forces were arrested and murdered by Soviet KGB.

Last decade of soviet Georgia
In 1980-ies in Georgia was operated 48 theatre companies among them:

• Opera and Ballet Theatres in Tbilisi and Kutaisi – 2
• Youth theatre /Georgian, Russian, Abkhazian/ – 3
• Puppet theatres /among them, Russian in Tbilisi/  – 8
• Marionette Theatre  – 1
• Pantomime theatre  – 1
• Drama theatres / among them minority theatre: Russian, Armenian, Abkhazian, Osetian /  –  33

Before this number several amateur theatres /among them Kurdish/. For each theatre was obligatory at list 6-7 premiers and the total number of the performances during the year was approximately at least 240 performances, in some cases more. As usually theatres was full with audience above 75-80%.

After liberation 1991
In 1991 after liberation, situation in Georgia was changed, first years was critical with civil war, ethnic conflicts, when Russia start new occupation of Georgia and from Georgia with force was separated Abkhazia and South Osetia, which was ended with war in August 2008, when Russia officially occupied 20-25% of Georgian territory.

In 90-ies was long transition, the first years theatres were involved in political life, after was short interval when most of theatres in the country was shut down, because in the country were economical crises, blockade from Russia, stopping gas and electricity, which was reflected on heavy situation of population limited electricity, collapsed central heating and hot water system (…)

Starting from 90-ies till long time theatres presented their shows only 1-2 evenings during the week, mostly from Friday includes Sunday. Unfortunately many theatres keep these limited evenings for performing till now.

Exploitation of the big venues became very expensive and not profitable. Few private small theatres with 80-120 seats, which were established after 1997, became more profitable with percentage then big venues.

(…) After collapse of Soviet Union the main structure of the theatres in Georgia was fixed stuff repertoire theatre /52 professional theatres with venues, and several armature companies in different cities of Georgia/. Above 50% of all theatres are located in the capital city Tbilisi. Theaters were centralized under the theatre department at the ministry of Culture, but same time theatres outside from capital had ownership from local governance too, with local departments of culture.

In late 80-ies soviet centralized system slowly was collapsing. First was disappearing censorship, after was taken off long term planning system, artistic councils at the theatres etc. In 90-ies management system of the theatres was old, but with new environment and reality. Theatre governance was theatre administrative director who expected funds from the state budget to spend them and artistic director, who was a local leader, president at the theatres. At the majority of the theatre was a big number of workshops, actors, assistance team etc – in large theatres all number of stuff around 200 or more persons.

This situation was for decade, before theatres start first reforms.

In 1996 theatres start to adopt contract system /from one to three year/, in general at the majority of the theatres this process was peaceful; in few theatre companies were protests from the actors, without positive results.

1998-99 by the Georgian parliament was adopted a new regulation about theatres, which gave permission to exist all forms of theatres, registered with space, without venue, project based etc. There was a formal debate, without NGO’s and independent experts involvement, which means that was semi public
debates.

(…) In 2004-05 was adopted changes in the theatre low, when was created a position of general managers of the theatres, as the main figure in it, position which is based on open competition and the council created by the ministry of culture after the competition procedure is announcing and approved the general managers for all theatres in the country. In 2005-06 after the first competitions all old theatre administrators were replaced by young new style managers. The new changes make closer Georgian general managers to German theatre “intendants” and make them powerful and more linked with political groups and policy of ministry. On a one hand ministry decentralized funding of theatres but centralized managerial stuff of all theaters in the country. But later state changes this and return back to the system of appointing of managers.

In capital theatres have general managers and artistic directors separately; in most of the provincial theatres general managers not invited artistic directors, but invited stage directors for single performance directing during the year. There is no time limitation for appointed managers as well as directors or artistic directors; managers and artistic directors could be replaced any time by central and local authorities.

This is still tools in the hand of authorities for theatre stuff manipulation. Unfortunately, till now there is no State Cultural Policy /as published document/ for theatre and dance, as well as no papers for the general cultural policy (…)

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