John Malkovich Performs at Tbilisi Theatre Festival

It features a baroque orchestra, two sopranos and one actor and opened to a Georgian audience for the first time on September 14. “I always wanted to come to Tbilisi, so it was a natural thing to do. Theatre and opera you do live and there is a good audience which is very important for us. We are glad to be here,” Malkovich told the media earlier that day at the Radisson hotel.
The 25-day festival unites art from 26 countries at 6 host theatres. The public had a wonderful opportunity to see Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili's colorful sets and costumes at the Rustaveli Theatre just before The Infernal Comedy. For his innovative works, designed for hundreds of performances around the world, Meskhishvili has received various local and international prizes.
Festival Director Eka Mazmishvili welcomed the increased public interest and discussions around the performances of the three year old festival. “It is only the beginning of the beginning and there are more unrealized ideas in our plans for the future than there are accomplished projects in our first three years. Each work of art is connected to the risk at the heart of artistic enterprise. Georgian audiences feel this very clearly and value that risk, playing an active part in the process of giving birth to new work,” Mazmishvili said further stressing the importance of the audience for the success of the “newly born” festival.