From the History of Memory. Collection of Sketches

Abstract

With its background in delivering higher education covering nearly half a century, the role and importance of Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgian State University in the history of 20^th-century Georgian culture, and in defining and forging its meaning and values, is special, indeed. This higher school of performing arts nourished by long-standing traditions of the art of theater—known at different times as the Theatrical Institute, the Institute of Theater, and now as the Theater and Film University—is quite confident about dealing with 21^th-century challenges.

The process of “storing” one’s memory in the form of stories started at the Theatrical Institute in the mid-20^th century, coming to life as materials collected by the unit known at first as The Theater History Office and later, since 1970, as the International Friendship Office. These materials include photos, visual and print collections, the repertoires of plays staged since 1939/1940 to this day, posters, sketches, programs, and personal archives of famous representatives of arts.  These collections, extremely valuable items related to the history of theater and cinema, are now preserved at the University’s Museum and require special study. But for now, we will focus just on the collection of sketches previously unknown to specialists and the public at large.

Shota Rustaveli State University of Theater and Cinema originally named as the Institute of Performing Arts was founded on the grounds of A. Pagava (a Georgian theater director) drama studio in 1923. A. Pagava and K. Marjanishvili, the distinguished theater director were   its first Rector and artistic director. In 1926, the Institute closed down but through the efforts of A. Khorava (an outstanding actor of the time) and A. Pagava was restored on 1 September 1939. The two were appointed the Rector and the Vice- Rector. Both in 1923 and 1939 the Institute was housed in the Rustaveli Theater. It is the time the sketches of the plays staged at the Institute displayed in the museum originate from.  The materials of the 1940s,’50s and ‘60s are relatively comprehensive. There are but a few sketches of the subsequent period and only several dozens date back to the 1990s.

The sketches depict the theatricals of the term and graduation plays made by the students of the Institute’s faculty of acting. The 3 the 4 year students used to stage one term and 2 graduation plays respectively. Besides, there are sketches of the stage setting and costumes of the plays put on at Griboedov and Youth theaters, that of the town of Batumi etc. by for instance the students of the faculty of directing.

Some of the sketches have annotations apparently made, when the museum was referred to as the Theater History Office. They bear stamps and identification numbers. (We failed to find the inventory document. The inscription on the stamp says: “Rustaveli State Drama Theater, the Theater History Office”).Unfortunately, not infrequently, the stamps were set on the sketches themselves.

Over 250 sketches of the collection dating back to 1940s were made by some of the distinguished set designers, such as Irene Stenberg, Ms. Tinatin Heine, Messrs. Dimitry Tavadze, Givi Tseradze, Boris Loktin, Parnaoz Lapiashvili, Alexander Tevzadze, Ivenho Chelidze etc. As to the plays, they were staged by the broadly known Georgian theater directors and actors like Messrs. Akaki Khorava, Akaki Vasadze, Akaki Pagava, Dimitry Alexidze, Michael Tumanishvili, Giga Lortkipanidze, Ms. Lili Ioseliani etc. On some of the sketches we see their autographs, the words “approved”, “to be altered”, “acceptable” etc.

Also in the museum, there are repertoires and the information concerning the plays staged at the Institute (the first night dates, names of the playwrights, producers, designers, composers etc.). The document named “The Repertoire of the Theatrical Institute” dated with 1940-1959 lists 126 plays.  “Pavel Grekov” put on by A. Vasadze and first performed on 25 May 1940 and “The Old Man” staged by K. Pataridze presented on 1 July 1959 are at the head and the bottom of the list. Also in the museum, there is “The Register of the Term and Graduate Plays Staged at the Tbilisi Rustaveli Theatrical Institute since 1939,”which lists all the pieces up to 1968-1969 academic years. The two documents are very important for identification of the collection of sketches preserved at the museum. We see that apart from the above mentioned artists, the ones, such as Irakli Gamrekeli, S. Virsaladze,  G.Totibadze, G. Gunia, T. Gotsadze, Iv. Askurava etc. designed the plays staged at the Institute.   Those were the top artists whose contribution to the arts, more precisely so, the XX c. Georgian scenic painting is great indeed.

Among the authors of the sketches we see those, who had been set designers of the term and graduate plays made at the Theatrical Institute for years. For instance, the sketches of the 1940s were made by several artists, who continued involvement in the field later on: D. Tavadze (1940-1968), A. Tevzadze (1940-1951), B. Loktin (1940-1966), G. Tseradze (1957-1969). As against them, the greats like S. Virsaladze or Irakli Gamrekeli had worked on just a handful of plays. Also,  G. Totibadze  (1951), L. Chubabria   (1942.), I. Ascurava (1955),  R. Sturua (1960), E. Doncova  (1964), T. Gotsadze  (1964 ), T. Sumbatashvili (1964),  G. Gunia (1968), T. Samsonadze (1969), P. Gotsiridze (1968).

From the 1950s, the stage design at the Theatrical Institute was made by. I. Stenberg (1951-1968), P. Lapiashvili (1951-1971) and especially so G. Tseradze, who designed dozens of the plays. D. Tavadze’s artistic works are worth mentioning as well.

In the collection, there are merely two sketches of the ‘70s and we were unable to find those of the ‘80s (or maybe they have not been identified yet. Several sketches of the plays put on in 1990s (1994-1999) were made by T. Heine.

Investigation of the collection is important in terms of a comprehensive study of those artists.

Some of the sketches bear the signatures of the Institute Rector, the producer or the artist and the dates. Occasionally, we see appraisal notes, all of those or none at all. All these add up to the value of the collection. On the one hand, what we have are the art works created at various times by a group of prominent set designers of the XX c. and the autographs of distinguished directors, scene designers and actors, on the other. The signatures of A. Khorava, D. Alexidze, M. Kveselava, L. Kiknadze and I. Tavadze are recurrent. All of them were the Rectors of the Theatrical Institute at various times (1939-1973) and continued working on the scenic designs of the term and graduation productions.

The collection of sketches kept in the museum allows us to look into the history of the Georgian scenography for it depicts the artistic trends prevalent in XX c.

The sketches preserved at the University’s Museum—once intended for graduation works/plays and now representing important, valuable materials exciting in many ways—were created by D. Tavadze, I. Gamrekeli, A. Tevzadze, B. Loktin, S. Virsaladze, P. Lapiashvili, I. Stenberg, I. Askurava, G. Totibadze, G. Tseradze, T. Gotsadze, E. Dontsova, A. Jemilishvili, G. Gunia, T. Samsonadze (students of the Academy of Fine Arts also worked on curricular performances). These examples are not included in the more or less studied oeuvres of the sketches’ authors. Consequently, studying the theatrical/decorative collection of the museum will be crucial for both the history of Georgian scenography and for reconstructing the past of the Theater and Film University which spans nearly half a century—to take in and share the best experiences and traditions of this school of higher artistic education.