“Open Sesame!”

Author: Manana Dumbadze

Directed by Manana Surmava

Set Design: Archil Vefkhvadze

Costume Designer: Archil Vefkhvadze

Choreographer: Mariam Gogodze

Composer / Musical Arrangement: Viseli Chechelashvili

Assistant Director: Viseli Chechelashvili

Duration: 120 minutes (with one intermission)
Genre: Lyrical Comedy

Cast:

Manana Surmava, Maia Lomidze, Mamuka Pavliashvili, Mariam Tsintsadze, Mariam Gogitidze, Baia Kajaja, Andria Chechelashvili

Premiere: December 25, 2025

About the performance

Open Sesame! is an emotional and humor-filled production that takes audiences on a poignant journey into the world of our collective past. Based on the works of Manana Dumbadze, the play weaves together real-life stories that reflect everyday lives, complex relationships, struggles, and quiet joys. At its core, the performance explores the profound weight of memory and the defining experiences that shape who we are. "Open Sesame!" serves as a symbolic invitation to open the doors of our own memories and revisit the personal histories that formed our lives.

The 1990s were an incredibly difficult chapter for Georgia—a period marked by severe economic crises, crippling energy shortages, and deep social instability. Yet, despite these brutal hardships, people never lost their sense of humor, their instinct to support one another, or their capacity for love. It is these exact, resilient human qualities that beat at the very heart of this performance.

The play introduces a vibrant gallery of distinct characters, each revealing a different facet of survival and hope. Through the masterful chameleon-like portrayal of multiple roles by just three principal actors, the production unexpectedly evokes smiles while navigating a dramatic historical backdrop familiar to so many. Ultimately, each vignette reminds us that human connection, family, friendship, and compassion retain their sacred significance even in the darkest of times.

By simultaneously evoking laughter, nostalgia, and deep reflection, "Open Sesame!" bridges the gap between eras, making it a deeply engaging and healing experience for audiences across generations.