Takaishvili Sesilia

Sesilia Takaishvili (b. September 17, 1906, Batumi – d. May 21, 1984, Tbilisi), actress, People's Artist of Georgia (1950) and the USSR (1966), winner of the Shota Rustaveli (1983) and Georgian State (1985) Prizes. In 1926, she graduated from the Theatre Institute in Tbilisi and in the same year enrolled in the troupe of the Shota Rustaveli Theatre, where she worked under the direction of S. Akhmeteli until 1930. Her first role was the witch Fatma (T. Vakhvakhishvili's pantomime Mzetamze). In 1930–1966, Takaishvili worked at the K. Marjanishvili Theatre. She was an actor of wide creative range, gifted with an unparalleled talent for transformation; she created complex, contradictory characters. Her performance was distinguished by sharp humor and directness of feeling and emotion. Of the 120 roles embodied by Takaishvili, the most notable are Christine (Sh. Dadiani's Ninoshvili's Guria), Nakomi (G. Baazov's Munjebi Alaparakdnen (The Mutes Began to Speak)), Amalia Karlovna (A. Afinogenov's Fear), Paraskeva (Sh. Dadiani's Napertsklidan (From the Spark)), Ogudalova (A. Ostrovsky's Without a Dowry), Nanny, Katherina (W. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew), Queen Elizabeth (F. Schiller's Mary Stuart), Prudence (A. Dumas's Marguerite Gautier), Olga (N. Dumbadze and G. Lortkipanidze’s Me, Bebia, Iliko da Ilarioni (Me, Grandma, Iliko and Ilarion) and etc.

Interview with Sesilia Takaishvili (fragment). Recorded in 1983:

Takaishvili's contribution to Georgian cinematography, where she has been working since 1948, is great. Her roles include: Vasasi (Chveni Ezo (Our Yard), 1956), Elpite (Sabudareli Chabuki (Young One from Sabudara), 1957), Elisabedi (Skhvisi Shvilebi (Other People's Children), 1958), Olga (Me, Bebia, Iliko da Ilarioni (Me, Grandma, Iliko and Ilarion), 1962), Bordokhani (Didostatis Marjvena (The Right Hand of the Grand Master, 1969–1970), Maradia (Natvris Khe (The Wishing Tree), 1976), Asineta (Data Tutashkhia, 1977), Accountant (Tsisperi Mtebi Anu Daujerebeli Ambavi (Blue Mountains or an Unbelievable Story), 1983) and etc. She made a significant contribution to the development of Georgian musical art. She received state awards. She was elected an Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi (1982).

Sesilia Takaishvili. A still from the film The Wishing Tree (1976): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ePG9FmmEpI

 

Literature: თვალჭრელიძე ტ., სესილია თაყაი­შვი­ლი, თბ., 1978; მარჯანი­­შვი­ლის თეატრი (ალბომი), თბ., 1979; მეტრეველი ს., უბრალოების არისტოკრატიზმი - სესილია თაყაიშვილი, წგ. თამაშის ხელოვნება, თბ., 2016; ურუშაძე ნ. სესილია თაყაიშვილი, თბ., 1988.