Tbilisi, Georgia: The Literary Theater, one of the leading cultural institutions in Georgia, marked its 25th anniversary with a special evening at the State Museum of Georgian Literature named after Giorgi Leonidze on Monday.
The event featured a retrospective of the Theater’s history, achievements, and challenges and a tribute to its founders, directors, actors, and supporters.
The theatre actors performed excerpts from some of the most memorable plays in the Theater’s repertoire, such as Revaz Inanishvili’s “Cetbi”, the first performance of the Theater in 1999, and “Shvili Nukri’s Naambobi”, a popular comedy based on the works of Nodar Dumbadze.
The evening was attended by Yoseb Chumburidze, the representative of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Georgia, and other distinguished guests from the field of culture. Chumburidze congratulated the Theater on its anniversary and praised its contribution to the promotion of Georgian literature and theatre art, especially among the younger generation.
The Literary Theater was established in 1999 in the Nikoloz Baratashvili House-Museum to create original and innovative performances based on the works of Georgian writers and poets. Its founders were Kote Mzhavia, the artistic director of the Theater, Lado Mekvabishvili, Temur Natsvlishvili, Naira Geladze, and Lia Kinkladze, the theatre director.
In 2004, the Theater moved to the State Museum of Georgian Literature, named after Giorgi Leonidze, which continues to operate successfully. Currently, the Theater has 32 performances in its repertoire, covering various genres and themes, such as “Blood”, “Guest-Host”, “Wedding of Chkhikta”, “Sulkhan-Saba”, “Cetebi”, “Chinchraqa”, and “What did Iavnana create?!”. The Theater conducts 350-400 performances during one season, reaching about 40,000 children and adults.
The Literary Theater is widely recognized as one of Georgia’s most creative and influential theatres and has received numerous awards and accolades for its work. The Theater also participates in international festivals and exchanges and collaborates with other cultural organizations and institutions.
