Synetic Theater Performs Wordless “Hamlet”

Synetic Theater gave a dynamic performance of “Hamlet …the rest is silence” at Westminster April 16 as part of the Graham Gund ’59 Visiting Artist Series.
 

Synetic uses movement, music, technology and the visual arts to tell classic stories without words. It made its artistic debut with its “Hamlet” production in 2001, earning three 2003 Helen Hayes Awards, for outstanding resident play, outstanding choreography and outstanding director.
 

The company emerged from the creative vision of founders Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili, Georgian artists who moved to the United States in the 1990s. Trained in dance, theatre and film, the Tsikurishvilis combine traditions of the Caucuses with distinctly American styles.
 

To date, Synetic’s productions have won 27 Helen Hayes Awards, garnering praise for both its wordless 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” and “Twelfth Night”) and its dialogue- and movement-based pieces, such as “Host and Guest,” “Frankenstein,” “Carmen” and “The Master and Margarita.”
 

Following their Westminster performance, the artists returned to the stage to answer questions from the audience. They described how they create a show, which usually takes 10 to 12 weeks. “We are constantly building and editing,” said Paata, who serves as director. “We improvise a lot.” When asked how difficult it can be to present Shakespeare without words, he explained, “At the end of the day, it is what you see onstage. … It is a new way to see it. It is still a work of art.” As for the importance of the music, Irina, who plays Gertrude and is the choreographer, said, “The musical score is very well chosen.”
 

Synetic, which is located in Arlington, Va., produces four to five mainstage productions and two to three family series productions per season, runs an educational studio for ages seven through adult, conducts community outreach programs, and tours family and mainstage productions, reaching more than 36,000 patrons annually.