Better Half
- Director: Sofio Kelbakiani
- Theatre:Temur Chkheidze Small Stage
- Hosting Theatre :Temur Chkheidze Small Stage
- Date:
- 1 September - 20:00 hr,
Playwright – Maka Kukulava
Director – Sofio Kelbakiani
Production Designer – Elene Japaridze
Technical Director – Lika Mamiashvili
Video – Data Dvalishvili
Poster – Nikusha Shalikashvili
Cast: Mariam Jologua, Dima Tatishvili
About Performance:
If you think you know where this story is going — this is exactly where you are wrong.
Two people. One night.
The question — what the second half of life looks like.
This is an encounter where past and present blur into one,
where words sometimes wound more than silence,
and where every line is a choice — to stay or to leave.
The night stretches, time shifts,
yet the central question remains unchanged —
how each of them continues the second half of life, and at what
Director Sopho Kelbakiani and playwright Maka Kukulava began their creative collaboration in Temur Chkheidze’s workshop. The play “Second Half” was written within the framework of the Contemporary Art Development Center, led by Mr. Temur. Four years after his passing, a stage named after Temur Chkheidze was opened at the Marjanishvili Theatre. It is symbolic that the play “Second Half” will be performed on this very stage in Sopho Kelbakiani’s interpretation.
The performance is dedicated to the bright memory of Mr. Temur
Premiere: May 12, 2026
Duration: 90 minutes, no intermission
The Marjanishvili Theater enters its 98th theatrical season with exceptional creative energy and a renewed vision. For nearly a century, the theater has stood as a vital center of Georgian culture. To this day, it remains dedicated to the traditions established by its founder, Kote Marjanishvili, while continuously searching for new artistic forms, modern expressions, and fresh ways to engage in dialogue with its audience.
By blending tradition and innovation, and maintaining an intellectual, audience-focused repertoire, the Marjanishvili Theater has earned the reputation over the years as a "public theater"—a social theater. It is a space where theater serves more than just art; it acts as an important platform for dialogue with society, critical thinking, emotional connection, and cultural memory.
The Marjanishvili Theater is an inseparable part of Georgia's cultural life and maintains its status as one of the country's leading theaters to this day. This is the very place where era-defining performances have been, and continue to be, created, shaping the history of Georgian theater.
From 1928 to 1933, the theater's artistic director was Kote Marjanishvili himself—a director who gave a completely new direction to Georgian theatrical thought. Later, the theater was led by outstanding theatrical figures such as Vasil Kushitashvili, Archil Chkhartishvili, Ushangi Chkheidze, Veriko Anjaparidze, Giga Lortkipanidze, and Temur Chkheidze—individuals who enriched the history of the Marjanishvili Theater with unique creative eras.
From 2006 to 2022, the theater's artistic director was Levan Tsuladze, under whose leadership the theater acquired a modern aesthetic, a new theatrical language, and a distinct artistic vision. Today, the theater's artistic director is the director and educator Giorgi Margvelashvili.
The Marjanishvili Theater is home to Georgia's most prominent actors, directors, designers, and composers—a team of professionals that drives the theater's continuous development, relevance, and success. Every premiere is a major cultural event and holds a special place in Tbilisi's theatrical life. The theater's activities are not limited to stage art alone. The Marjanishvili Theater actively participates in educational, social, and international cultural projects.
The Marjanishvili Theater places special emphasis on social responsibility. The theater regularly hosts and provides free tickets to internally displaced persons (IDPs), war and labor veterans, former prisoners and their families, children and the elderly who are marginalized or socially vulnerable, as well as students from the Theater University.
Since 2013, the theater has been running an educational project called "One Hour at the Theater," through which schoolchildren and students learn about the history of the theater, unique archival materials, and exhibits preserved in the museum.
As part of the 2015 competition for the Culture sub-programme of "Creative Europe," the Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre, in cooperation with the European Theatre Convention, secured funding for the international project "European Theatre Lab: Drama meets Digital."
The theater maintains active collaborations with the United Kingdom, North Macedonia, Greece, Poland, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Italy.
About the Theater
- The theater has two stages: the Main Stage and the Temur Chkheidze Small Stage.
- The theater brings together a permanent company as well as guest actors.
- The theatrical season runs from September to June.
- Throughout the year, the theater carries out 6–7 international tours and more than 10 tours across various cities in Georgia.
- The theater welcomes an average of 39,422 audience members per season.
- An average of 374 performances are held per season.
- Performances take place every day except Mondays.
- The Main Stage has a seating capacity of 436.
- The Temur Chkheidze Small Stage accommodates 102 audience members.
Contact Information
Artistic Director: Giorgi Margvelashvili
Contact Person: Tinatin Kalatozishvili
Phone: +995 597 510 757
E-mail: info@marjanishvili.com
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