Have you ever been to a butterfly house in a zoo? Sometimes, the butterflies land on you, especially if you wear bright colors. Most butterflies live for only two weeks, but monarch butterflies can live for up to nine months. They are very delicate creatures, and if you visit an exhibit you will likely be asked to move slowly and carefully. That feeling of wonder when a butterfly lands on you is exactly the sensation that will come over you as you watch Synetic Theater’s Little Comedies. Director and choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili wishes us laughter and love for the holiday season in her director’s note — this generous introduction embodies the spirit of the production, which is an enchanting entertainment for the whole family. Maryam Najafzada (Tasiko), Vato Tsikurishvili (Berika), and Joshua Cole Lucas (Vano) in ‘Little Comedies.’ Photo by Katerina Kato. Synetic Theater founders Paata and his wife Irina Tsikurishvili have an extraordinary history. In 1989 the people of Soviet-occupied Georgia were protesting Communism. Paata was at university there and was a professional actor at the Pantomime Theater. In September of 1991, the Soviets cut off electricity and gas. As chaos descended on the country, there was fighting in the streets. Paata and Irina faced gunshots, hunger, and fears for their physical safety. With their infant son Vato, they fled to Germany. By 1995, the couple was here in the U.S. Neither of them spoke English, and they busked in the street. After co-founding the Stanislavsky Theater Studio with Russian artist Andrei Malaev-Babel, they formed their athletic and high-voltage physical theater company, the Synetic Theater, here in DC. It is now internationally renowned. Their first production, Hamlet…the rest is silence (2001), won three Helen Hayes Awards. They have received dozens of Helen Hayes Awards since. Their theater is utterly unique, and they are well known for their storytelling and staging of literary works, folk tales, and more. Their “Body of Mind” technique combines athleticism, character-based narratives, and striking visuals. Little Comedies is a series of six vignettes based on a rich tradition of pantomime, which has its roots in classical European theater and goes all the way back to Greece and Rome. As Irina notes, it is part of ancient Georgian lore, derived from folk rituals like Berikaoba, a masquerade that combines satire, music, and dance (sometimes with exaggerated gestures, masks, and humor), to “celebrate community and express resistance.” The “Comedians” are three archetypal characters who appear in the scenes. Berika (Vato Tsikurishvili), a mischievous leader derived from hunting rituals, a kind of Harlequin; Tasiko (Maryam Najafzada), a character from Georgian fairy tales, who adds play, compassion, and a bit of magic; and Vano (Joshua Cole Lucas), a bumbling, lovable fellow who is always in everyone’s business. (The casting rotates: Natan-Maël Gray also plays Berika; Kaitlyn Shifflett and Stella Bunch, Tasiko; and Lev Belolipetski, Vano.) TOP: Natan Maël-Gray (Berika), Lev Belolipetski (Vano), and Kaitlyn Shifflett (Tasiko); ABOVE: Stella Bunch (Tasiko), Vato Tsikurishvili, and Natan Maël-Gray, in ‘Little Comedies.’ Photos by Katerina Kato. Before the start, we hear a series of Christmas carols, from “White Christmas” to “Let It Snow.” Next, Tasiko, in pigtails and a multicolored costume, brings out a whiteboard and draws a picture. The audience is offered the chance to guess what it is. (The children especially enjoy this.) There are six sketches: The Mask, Baby in the Park, The Umbrellas, Cowboys, The Wall, and Butterfly. Here are some of the highlights — not complete vignettes but snippets of scenes. In Baby in the Park, Vano enters with a baby carriage. He smiles and makes faces at the baby. Barika looks down, reads, and smokes. There is a fight. The baby’s pacifier is dropped. Desperate to stop the baby from crying, they make more faces and wave their arms, but nothing works. It is the tyranny of the baby! Finally, the crying stops, and they attempt to sneak out. The baby starts crying again. In Umbrellas, Vano, Berika, and Tasiko are all holding umbrellas and dancing. The wind is threatening to blow the umbrellas away. Vano and Barika compete for the affections of Tasiko. I will leave you to guess who wins. In Cowboys, Berika and Vano enter and fall asleep. They wear cowboy outfits with fringed vests. We hear Western music as they attempt to catch an invisible bull. When Tasiko enters, they are enchanted. She turns out to be just as good as they are catching the bull, maybe better. At the beginning of Butterfly, one little girl guesses the picture on the whiteboard: “Butterfly!” We see two construction workers in hats, Berika and Vano. Tasiko enters, and once again Berika and Vano are enchanted. They try to help her catch the butterfly. One puts it in his hat. She jumps around. The butterfly lands in various places, some of them embarrassing. We hear the sounds of the song “The Summer Knows.” Tasiko exits and they are bereft, but leave as friends. The acting and expressions are sometimes comic, sometimes touching. Hailey LaRoe’s lighting suits the production perfectly and Nyasha Klusmann’s costumes are bright and imaginative. Composer Koki Lortkipanidze, as always, brings us haunting and evocative melodies. Thanks to all these artists, as well as director and choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili, you will leave with a feeling of holiday joy. And you might, just might, hear the sound of butterfly wings. Running Time: 45 minutes, with no intermission Little Comedies plays through January 4, 2025, presented by Synetic Theater performing at Theatre on the Run – 3700 South Four Mile Run Drive, in Arlington, VA. For tickets ($30), call (703) 824-8024 x 117, or purchase them online. The playbill for Little Comedies is online here. Parental guidance advised for young children. Little Comedies Directed and Choreographed by Irina Tsikuvishvili ROTATING CAST Vato Tsikurishvili: Berika Natan-Maël Gray: Berika Maryam Najafzada: Tasiko Kaitlyn Shifflett: Tasiko Stella Bunch: Tasiko Joshua Cole Lucas: Vano Lev Belolipetski: Vano CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION STAFF Director & Choreographer: Irina Tsikurishvili Lighting Designer: Hailey LaRoe Costume Designer: Nyasha Klusmann Resident Composer: Koki Lortkipanidze Production Manager: Amy Kellett Stage Manager: Klue Duong Lighting Board Operator: Susannah Cai Carpenter: Joshua Cole Lucas Master Electrician: Alex F. Keen