Synetic Theater
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| Synetic Theater | |
|---|---|
| Name | Synetic Theater |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Location | Arlington, Virginia |
| Genre | Physical theater, movement-based adaptation |
| Artistic director | Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili |
Synetic Theater Synetic Theater is a professional theater company based in Arlington, Virginia, known for its wordless adaptations, movement-based productions, and hybrid dance-theater works. The company produces seasonal repertory, tours regionally, and participates in festivals while collaborating with designers, choreographers, and playwrights from the United States and Europe. Synetic has been associated with major venues, cultural institutions, and funding organizations that support performing arts in the Washington, D.C. area.
History
Founded in 2001 by artistic leaders trained in Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, Synetic emerged from influences including Moscow Art Theatre, Jerzy Grotowski, and Pina Bausch schools of practice. Early seasons were staged in collaboration with local presenters such as Arlington County cultural programs and The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center affiliates. The company’s growth intersected with regional development initiatives like the Kennedy Center’s outreach and partnerships with touring circuits including International Performing Arts for Youth and Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. Over time Synetic moved through venues associated with Signature Theatre (Arlington, Virginia), cultivated audiences from the Washington, D.C. metro area, and participated in festivals such as Spoleto Festival USA and National Cherry Blossom Festival-affiliated events. Institutional support came from foundations and agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts, Theatre Communications Group, and state arts councils.
Artistic Style and Methodology
Synetic’s work synthesizes movement, physical theater, and visual design, drawing inspiration from practitioners and institutions such as Bertolt Brecht, Augusto Boal, Vsevolod Meyerhold, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Productions emphasize corporeal storytelling akin to approaches used at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and Tennessee Williams–era adaptations that foreground mise-en-scène similar to Woody Allen’s cinematic staging or Julie Taymor’s mask work. Designers and choreographers who have influenced Synetic include alumni of Merce Cunningham Dance Company, collaborators from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and scenographers trained at Yale School of Drama and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. The company’s methodology often integrates practices found in curricula at Juilliard School, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and conservatories influenced by Vakhtang Chabukiani–style movement training.
Notable Productions
Signature productions have included wordless adaptations and reimaginings of classics associated with authors and playwrights such as William Shakespeare’s tragedies, Homer’s epics, and the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky. Staged projects have referenced canonical texts like Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello, while productions have also drawn from Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and Edgar Allan Poe for gothic repertory. Synetic’s repertory has appeared on seasons alongside companies such as Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, D.C.), Arena Stage, and Folger Shakespeare Library programming, and participated in touring presentations that included venues linked to Kennedy Center and international festivals in London, Paris, and Tbilisi. Collaborations and guest directors have included artists with ties to Broadway, Off-Broadway, and European opera houses like Teatro alla Scala.
Company Leadership and Key Artists
Artistic leadership includes founders trained in Georgian and European traditions with professional networks spanning institutions such as Moscow Art Theatre School, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and American conservatories like Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Key artists and collaborators have come from companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Repertory Theater, SITI Company, and Blue Man Group alumni, as well as designers who studied at Pratt Institute, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Guest conductors, composers, and movement directors have links to ensembles such as Washington National Opera, National Symphony Orchestra, and chamber groups affiliated with Smithsonian Institution presentations.
Awards and Recognition
The company has received accolades and nominations from regional and national organizations including the Helen Hayes Awards, Theatre Washington distinctions, grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and awards administered by foundations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Ford Foundation. Reviews and critical recognition have appeared in outlets associated with The Washington Post, The New York Times, and arts publications linked to American Theatre Magazine and Playbill.
Education and Community Programs
Synetic’s education initiatives include training intensives, conservatory-style workshops, and youth programs modeled on curricula used at Juilliard School, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and regional university theater departments such as George Mason University and American University. Community engagement partnerships have been formed with local public arts programs in Arlington County, school systems collaborating with District of Columbia Public Schools, and nonprofit arts organizations like ArtsFairfax and Young Playwrights' Theater. The company also offers residencies and outreach supported by cultural agencies including National Endowment for the Arts and state arts councils.