Review Fix chats with Sophie Tortladze, who discusses her new production of Eugene Ionesco’s classic “Bald Soprano,†which is set for a run at this year’s Midtown International Theatre Festival.
For more on this production, click here.

Tumanishvili Film Actors Theatre
BALD SOPRANO by Eugene Ionesco
Performance Schedule:Â Sun 7/24, 8:30pm; Mon 7/25, 8:15pm; Tues 7/26, 6:00pm
Running Time: 85 minutes
Venue: Main Stage, 312 W. 36th Street
Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this project?
Sophie Tortladze: As much as the leading issue here concerns the universal problem of social estrangement, the alienation in relationship between people sometimes reaches the critical point. Therefore we decided showing this absurd problem even more visibly to public and by bringing this show to NY, MITF Festival we aim to discover how similar the essence of the play is to American reality, as much as it is quite tangible for the Georgian society.
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Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Tortladze: The creative process was much like a laboratory for the study of human behavior, investigation, research, a discovery. However the show is not an interactive in its direct meaning, but interactive indeed in hooking audience with that emotional burst which engaged the whole cast during the creative process.
Review Fix: What makes this different or special?
Tortladze: It is different in regards with the concept of the staging. The plot of the story is transferred in Georgia; Eugene Ionesco’s absurdist piece is played as if in Georgian reality. Well, it is the special one as well, as far as here the absurdist play is produced according to Stanislavsky method.
Review Fix:What did you learn about yourself through this process?
Tortladze:Firstly it was an experiment to me, to my artist colleagues, friends and co-thinkers as we have dealt with the theatrical narrative in a totally different approach which proved that I am ready for more experiments in theatre and as much as my company is.
Review Fix:How does it feel to be a part of something like this?
Tortladze: We look very much forward to bringing this show to the States. We are very much keen on meeting the genuine reaction of the new audience, delighted by this chance to be part of this great occasion.
Review Fix:What are your ultimate goals for this production and for the future?
Tortladze: We wish the audience to become more attentive to each other, much considering and sensitive. We wish them reflect upon what is the major thing in their life excluding the vanity of daily existence.
Review Fix:What do you think your audiences will enjoy the most?
Tortladze:/strong>After success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Scotland (2014) we considered that it will be quite interesting for NY public and we look very much forward to meeting with them.
Review Fix:What’s next?
Tortladze:We are successfully running our latest premier of King Lear in Tbilisi, at Tumanishvili Film Actors Theater and we are building our future international tours.
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