NETA News
“A Midsummer Night's Dream” envisaged by Georgian David Doiashvili overturns classic Shakespeare patterns
Opening the 2015 NETA International Theatre Festival on August 28, A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of the most innovative staging of Shakespeare, a production of the Vaso Abashidze Music and Drama State Theatre from Tbilisi. The play, featured on the Studio Hall stage of the National Theatre in Bucharest, received several prized in the 2013 Duruji awards: Grand Prize of Georgia, Best Director – David Doiashvili, Best Actress – Ana Aleksishvili (as Helena), and Best Actor – Archil Sologashvili (Philostrat and Puck).
Out of classic patterns, appreciate Georgian critics, no other staging of this play reveals as many connections between mystical characters and ideas hidden within the work of the greatest playwright of all times. The acting, the scene, light design, video projections, animations, as well as Chopin’s extraordinary music create a dreamy and enchanting environment that, combined with the terrifying nightmare, deeply affect audiences of all nationalities and believes worldwide.
A director’s performance, the 2012 Tbilisi staging is one of the three consecutive shows created by Doiashvili, including the National Theatre of Croatia in 2013 and the National Theatre of Hungary in Budapest in 2014. Another Shakespeare play he directed, Macbeth, received 9 awards and 12 nominalizations at the 2010 International Theatre Festival of Croatia in Rijeka.
A leading artist of Georgia, he received the “Medal of Honour” in 2003 and the “Holy Order” in 2013. David Doiashvili’s name is synonym to the rebirth of the theatre he governs for over a decade and his performance is confirmed by numerous participations in national and international festivals, personal awards and for the Vaso Abashidze Music and Drama State Theatre from Tbilisi.
Born in 1972, the famous Georgian director attracted the world’s attention as he began his career, and was invited to direct The Witches of Salem at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, UK, after his graduation. During the same period, he staged the A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the firms time at the Royal National Theatre in London. Among other Shakespearian successes of Doiashvili are Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, The Siege by Albert Camus, The house on the border by Sławomir Mrożek, Separation by Giorgi Eristavi, and more. Alongside with his passion for directing, David Doiashvili aims to integrate the Georgian theatre within the European theatres.
