Children with disabilities hold theatre performances
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, July 27
A company of actors primarily composed of people with various disabilities are holding theatre performances in different regions of Georgia.
The major aim of Azdak’s Garden theatre company and its Director Ivane (Bacho) Gabruashvili is to create new opportunities for disabled people and raise public awareness in this regard.
Gabruashvili also plans to establish a special vocational education, similar to the Theatre University, where people with disabilities will study performing arts.
Azdak’s Garden was founded in March 2016. Gabuashvili, who was appointed as director of the theatre, has seven years of experience of working as a director with people of disabilities in various rehabilitation facilities and day centres.
The current group of the Azdak’s Garden includes 25 actors and actresses; 18 of them are people with disabilities while the remaining seven are volunteer actors and actresses.
The group presented their first play, Gypsies, which was based on the story of a famous Georgian writer, Nodar Dumbadze, at the Mziuri Amphitheatre in the Mziuri Park in central Tbilisi on June 11.
Tbilisi Mayor’s Office supported the event.
On the request of Georgia’s First Lady Maka Chichua and very positive public reviews, the play was performed again at the same venue on June 22.
The group went on their first tour to Telavi on June 28 with the support of Telavi Mayor’s Office and the Vazha Pshavela Drama Theater.
The Kutaisi Lado Meskhishvili State Theatre also hosted the play on July 15, with the support of the local Mayor’s Office and the Lado Meskhishvili Theatre itself.
On July 22, the group visited famous Nato Vachnadze’s House-Museum in the Gurjaani region in eastern Georgia, where the group performed their play for locals.
The group is also planning to tour to the coastal towns of Poti, Kobuleti and Batumi in the near future. The troupe is also working on a new play.
From September, master classes in performing arts and speaking skills are planned within the Azdak’s Theatre.
