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MARO (Based on the Diaries of Maro Makashvili)
- Directors: Tata Tavadishvili & Tato Geliashvili
- Theatre:LEPL Mikheil Tumanishvili Professional State Film Actors' Theatre / Tumanishvili Film Actors Theatre
- Hosting Theatre :Tumanishvili Film Actors Theatre
- Date:
- 1 September - 20:00 hr,
Director - Tata Tavadishvili & Tato Geliashvili
Set Designers - Tata Tavadishvili & Tato Geliashvili
Costume Designers - Tata Tavadishvili & Tato Geliashvili
Choreographers - Tata Tavadishvili & Tato Geliashvili
Composer / Musical Direction - Mikheil Zakaidze
Assistant Director - Sophio Orjonikidze
Genre: Non-verbal Theatre
Cast: Mirian Kokhreidze, Liza Nikvashvili, Nino Nozadze, Giorgi Kipshidze, Shako Chalagashvili, Luka Chibukhaia
Premiere Date: 20 November 2025
Duration / Intermission: 55 minutes (no intermission)
About Performance:
The winning production of the Biennale College programme, MARO is a choreographic puppet performance by the physical theatre company HOI, inspired by the diaries of Maro Makashvili. In the reality we live in today, artistic creation must become a tool of resistance, capable of bridging the deep divisions that fracture our society. Georgian identity is often distorted by excessive romanticisation, weakening the very foundations of the country's independence and obscuring the true meaning of its cultural values. The idea of fighting for freedom must move beyond elevated rhetoric and become tangible, uncompromising, authentic, and active. Our ancestor, Maro Makashvili, embodies this spirit. She stands as one of the clearest examples of a young Georgian patriot. At first glance, her decision may seem naïve; in reality, however, it is a powerful manifesto of love, courage, and resistance. The project was developed in full compliance with the artistic and production guidelines of the Biennale College programme.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FFLwH7RWjI
Press:
“Maro, created by the Georgian physical theatre company HOI, is dedicated to Maro Makashvili, a young Georgian woman who, during the occupation of Georgia by the Russian army, enlisted as a Red Cross nurse but was killed only a few days later. It is an attempt to restore a collective memory that makes us reflect on the present and on the way we look at migration, national identity, and that fundamental feeling called a person's national belonging and love for their homeland.” — Gianni Forte, La Repubblica
"We came to change everything in theatre." — this vision of Mikheil Tumanishvili continues to define the artistic spirit of the theatre today. The origins of the theatre date back to 1975, when Mikheil Tumanishvili established a theatrical workshop at the Georgian Film Studio (Kartuli Pilmi). In 1978, this workshop evolved into the Film Actors Theatre, a unique studio-based company founded by the actors and directors of Tumanishvili's experimental ensemble. The creative legacy of Mikheil Tumanishvili—one of Georgia's most influential theatre reformers, directors, and teachers—remains at the heart of the institution's identity. Since 1996, the theatre has proudly borne his name, continuing the traditions of the "Tumanishvili School" while combining its artistic heritage with contemporary theatrical exploration. Tumanishvili Film Actors' Theatre, is a state repertory theatre with a permanent ensemble. It actively collaborates with Georgian and international directors, participates in international festivals, and develops cross-cultural artistic partnerships and exchange projects. The theatre's distinctive stage—designed according to Mikheil Tumanishvili's own concept as an open space without a curtain or wings—continues to embody one of its fundamental principles: creating an immediate and intimate connection between actor and audience.
Artistic Director: Ioane (Vano) Khutsishvili
Theatre Director: Ioane (Vano) Khutsishvili
Contact Person and Position: Maia Odisharia / Project Curator
Contact Information: +995 591 615 223 / maia.odisharia@tumanishvilitheatre.ge / www.tumanishvilitheatre.ge
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