Synetic Theater (Arlington, Virginia)

Synetic Theater

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Formation	2001
Type	Theatre group
Purpose	Physical Theater: fusing drama, movement, dance, mime, and music
Location	Arlington VA / Washington, D.C.
Artistic director(s)	Paata Tsikurishvili (Founder)
Notable members	Irina Tsikurishvili (Founder, Choreographer)
Website	http://www.synetictheater.org/

Synetic Theater is a non-profit physical theater company located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It performs at the Crystal City Theatre in Arlington Virginia. Its declared mission is to "redefine theatre by blending innovative techniques and movement, investing in artists’ growth, and creating unforgettable visceral experiences for every audience." Since its formation its productions have received numerous awards.

Founded in 2001, Synetic Theater began as an artistic subgroup within the now defunct Stanislavsky Theater Studio which performed at the Church Street Theater in Washington, D.C. – the result of an artistic split by the husband and wife team of Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili from Andrei Malaev-Babel, the other co-head of The Stanislavsky Theater Studio. It made its artistic debut in April 2002 with a wordless adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, known as Hamlet…the rest is silence. The production was remounted the following season, receiving the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Resident Play, Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Director. Despite the artistic split, Synetic Theater and The Stanislavsky Theater Studio continued to share resources and performance space into the following season, but in 2003, after a series of disagreements over financial matters, Synetic set off on its own. The following year Synetic merged with Classika Theater, a children's theater based in Shirlington, Virginia.

In 2014 Synetic Co-Founders Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili were honored as Washingtonians of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine for their contributions to the Washington theater community.

Through its educational programs in the dramatic and visual arts, Synetic strives to build the audiences of tomorrow by fostering and promoting the overall development of children and adolescents, as well as use the freshness of its performance style to reawaken a fascination with theater and art that lies dormant in large sections of the American population. In a society that is increasingly immersed in the visually rich but often contextually tepid waters of television, movies, and the internet, Synetic seeks to re-introduce the theater as a place where everything old can become new again. Towards this goal, Synetic endeavors to increase its national and international exposure, captivating audiences around the globe, while maintaining the excellence of its artistic and educational programs.

The Synetic Theater's offices and administrative spaces are located 2611 Jefferson Davis Hwy., St. 103 Arlington, VA 22202 in the Crystal City area of Arlington. Until 2010 Synetic performed most of its shows in the Arlington County run Rosslyn Spectrum. In September 2010 it moved into the Crystal City Theatre space outfitted by the Arena Stage after the latter moved back into its newly renovated spaces in Washington D.C. Between 2006–2010, it performed one show each spring in the Kennedy Center. In the 2009–2010 season it produced the premiers of its "Silent Shakespeare" series at the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Lansburgh Theatre. With the company's move to Crystal City, the relationship with the Shakespeare Theatre Company and the Lansburgh Theatre ended.