Comedy against socialist realism in Georgian theater performances of the twentieth century

Abstract

Since the establishment of the professional theater, about half of the repertoire of Georgian theaters has been comedies. The production of plays by Carlo Goldoni and Carlo Gozzi, brilliant representatives of Italian dramaturgy, was considered appropriate by any censor at every stage of Georgian theater history. With an observation of the Italian and Georgian peoples, many common features can be discovered. Southern temperament, emotions, expressive manners. Because of these similarities in characters, the Georgian audience loves Italian plays and especially Italian comedies. The period of Goldoni staging in Rustaveli theatre was a very tragic time in the history of Georgia. In 1936, when Dimitri Aleksidze staged “The Mistress of the Inn,” was the beginning of the period of Soviet repressions in all Soviet Union. The culmination of these tragic years was 1937: the sequences of violence, most of the Georgian intellectuals were executed. And it may seem strange, that Rustaveli Theater had been busy with comedy performing. However, in fact, it was a way of survival. The play becomes the hope of Georgian public, that normal life will return in Georgia and laugh, something very natural for humanity, will save their homeland.