Synetic Theater Co-Founders Chosen as Washingtonians of the Year

Synetic Theater co-founders Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili will be recognized on January 15th by Washingtonian Magazine as Washingtonians of the Year for being local heroes in their commitment to making the Washington DC community a better place through boundary-pushing theater.

"Irina and I are deeply moved and honored to be recognized alongside so many distinguished local leaders as Washingtonians of the Year," said Paata Tsikurishvili. "When we founded Synetic Theater, we wanted to share our way of storytelling and we are thrilled by the way the Washington community has welcomed us."

Paata and Irina are currently collaborating on their 10th "silent Shakespeare" adaptation - a roaring 20s version of Twelfth Night inspired by the silent films of the era and the comedy of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Directed by Paata and Choreographed by Irina (who also stars as Viola), Twelfth Night will play in Crystal City January 9 through February 16.

Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili, Georgian artists who moved to the United States in the 1990s, put their creative vision behind Synetic Theater for the last 12 Seasons. Trained in innovative dance, theater and film, the Tsikurishvilis combined traditions of the Caucuses with distinct American styles to tell classical stories in a unique way. Synetic Theater made its artistic debut in 2002 with a wordless Hamlet (Hamlet...the rest is silence)-quickly establishing itself as a dazzling and innovative physical theater company and earning three 2003 Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Resident Play, Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Director.

Eleven years later, Synetic produces four to five main stage productions annually, houses an educational studio for ages 7 through adult, conducts community outreach programs and tours family and main stage productions, reaching over 36,000 patrons annually. To-date Synetic has earned 92 Helen Hayes Nominations and received 24 Helen Hayes Awards, garnering acclaim for its "Silent Shakespeare" repertoire (Hamlet...the rest is silence, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Antony and Cleopatra, Othello, King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew), as well as for its text-and movement-based classical pieces, such as Host and Guest, Frankenstein, Carmen and The Master and Margarita.

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