The Art of Staying Human
The Gabriadze Theater has always been a place of quiet mystery. Nestled in the heart of Tbilisi, it exists both in the present and in the stories told about it. Over the years, it has gathered a haze of legends and half-whispered memories, where fact and myth blend. Through a series of special “mediation” encounters, the theater opens its doors not only to its stage but to its inner voice - offering audiences the rare chance to hear the true stories of the Gabriadze Theater directly from those who have lived them.
One of the most cherished of these encounters is led by Chika - actress, troupe leader, and long-time collaborator of Rezo Gabriadze. She is more than a performer: she is a guardian of the theater’s memory, someone who has shared countless rehearsals, tours, and quiet mornings with Gabriadze himself. Her mediation, The Art of Staying Human, takes audiences into the backstage world where the theater’s puppets sleep, wait, and come to life.
In this intimate experience, Chika invites visitors to meet some of the theater’s most enduring characters and to discover how a puppet becomes more than wood and fabric. Through her personal recollections, she reveals the principles at the heart of the Gabriadze philosophy. Under her guidance, guests learn how movement, breath, and touch can transform a puppet into a living presence. Every gesture and story is grounded in lived experience, making the mediation as much about people as it is about theater.
Who This Is For
This mediation is for anyone curious about the inner life of the Gabriadze Theater, for lovers of puppetry and storytelling, and for those seeking an encounter with Georgian culture in its most human form. It welcomes both first-time visitors and long-time admirers, offering a rare opportunity to step inside its guarded backstage and see the theater not as a spectator, but as part of its living memory.
One of the most cherished of these encounters is led by Chika - actress, troupe leader, and long-time collaborator of Rezo Gabriadze. She is more than a performer: she is a guardian of the theater’s memory, someone who has shared countless rehearsals, tours, and quiet mornings with Gabriadze himself. Her mediation, The Art of Staying Human, takes audiences into the backstage world where the theater’s puppets sleep, wait, and come to life.
In this intimate experience, Chika invites visitors to meet some of the theater’s most enduring characters and to discover how a puppet becomes more than wood and fabric. Through her personal recollections, she reveals the principles at the heart of the Gabriadze philosophy. Under her guidance, guests learn how movement, breath, and touch can transform a puppet into a living presence. Every gesture and story is grounded in lived experience, making the mediation as much about people as it is about theater.
Who This Is For
This mediation is for anyone curious about the inner life of the Gabriadze Theater, for lovers of puppetry and storytelling, and for those seeking an encounter with Georgian culture in its most human form. It welcomes both first-time visitors and long-time admirers, offering a rare opportunity to step inside its guarded backstage and see the theater not as a spectator, but as part of its living memory.
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Our mediations
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