Mission

"Art with a capital A." – The New York Times

Synetic Theater’s mission is to be the premier American physical theater, fusing dynamic art forms—such as text, drama, movement, acrobatics, dance and music, by producing world-class physical theater for all ages, educating the next generation of artists and physical theater professionals, and promoting this distinct form of theater nationally and internationally through community outreach and touring programs.

SYNthesis: the coming together of distinct elements to form a whole
KinETIC: pertaining to or imparting motion, active, dynamic
SYNETIC: a dynamic synthesis of the arts

Synetic Theater emerged from the creative vision of founders Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili, Georgian artists who moved to the United States in the 1990s. 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.

Ten years later, Synetic annually produces four to five Main stage productions, three family series productions, houses an educational studio for ages 4 through adult, conducts outreach programs and tours family and Main stage productions, reaching over 36,000 patrons. Overall, Synetic has earned 79 Helen Hayes Nominations and received 21 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 and King Lear) as well as its text- and movement-based classical pieces, such as Host and Guest, Frankenstein, Carmen and The Master and Margarita.

In 2006, Synetic began its five-year partnership with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to produce one show per season for The Kennedy Center and in 2009, forged an alliance with The Shakespeare Theatre Company to produce its new adaptation of Antony and Cleopatra at STC’s Lansburgh Theatre, solidifying its position as a Washington fixture. In 2010, Synetic secured a new, dedicated venue in Crystal City, VA, through a partnership with Vornado/Charles E. Smith and the Crystal City Business Improvement District.

This season, Synetic will produce seven shows in the new Crystal City space, including Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Teen Romeo and Juliet, Genesis Reboot, Light in the Darkness, and Home of the Soldier. The Taming of the Shrewwill be presented at the Lansburgh Theatre in Washington, DC, while Synetic's Family productions of Rough-Faced Girl and The Music Box will be performed in Shirlington.