Akaki Tsereteli Drama Theatre in Chiatura

The History of Akaki Tsereteli Drama Theatre

The first performance at the Chiatura Theatre took place in 1901, with a production of Akaki Tsereteli’s “The Little Kakhi”. By 1910, the theatre had a permanent troupe in residence.

In the early 20th century, more than a few hits were performed at Chiatura Drama Theatre, including plays by Shakespeare, Lope De Vega, Molière, Polikarpe Kakabadze, and Davit Kldiashvili. Their “Kvarkvare Tutaberi”, by Polikarpe Kakabadze, was considered the best ever performance of the play, with Mikheil Vashadze being considered the gold standard at playing the role of Kvarkvare.

In the 1950s, Chiatura Drama Theatre twice won Soviet festival prizes and later became the winner at the International Hungary Theatre Festival.

The New Building of the Akaki Tsereteli Drama Theatre in Chiatura

A new building was built for the theater in 1949, and was named after Akaki Tsereteli. The new building, with an arched portal decorated with a monumental facade, stands in Chiatura’s central square. A statue of Akaki Tsereteli, depicted lost in thought in an armchair, can also be seen here.

The interior of Chiatura Drama Theatre is lavishly decorated and can accommodate more than 600 people.