Starring Ika Gogoladze
Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 8:30 pm
Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 2:00 pm
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What happens when a man gets stuck in an elevator, with no one listening? In the Elevator, a powerful solo play by New York-based Georgian playwright and screenwriter Otar Pertakhia, has already gained international recognition. It received the highest critical acclaim and was named the discovery of the festival at the International Playwrights Festival “Restoration of the Present” in Armenia.
In this 50-minute solo performance, a man trapped in a broken elevator unravels under the weight of silence, expectation, and fear. What begins with mild frustration becomes a philosophical, ironic, and darkly comic exploration of masculinity, identity, and societal pressure. In a space no larger than a box, a life is examined in full, through memory, defiance, shame, and absurd dignity. The play has been translated into English, Armenian, and Russian, attesting to its resonance across languages and cultures.
Performed in English by acclaimed Georgian actor Ika (Irakli) Gogoladze, In the Elevator challenges both the performer and audience with its raw vulnerability and psychological intensity. Translated by Eirik Halvorson, with stage adaptation and final version by the author Otar Pertakhia, and staged with minimalist precision, the production is a meditation on isolation in a hyper-connected world. This staging marks a historic milestone: Otar Pertakhia is the first Georgian playwright to achieve independent success Off-Broadway, and Ika Gogoladze is the first Georgian actor to perform a contemporary Georgian play in English on an Off-Broadway stage.
Claustrophobic yet universal, absurd yet deeply human, this solo play is a modern existential cry. It resonates not only from a broken elevator, but from within the walls we build around ourselves.
Playwright / Director / Producer: Otar Pertakhia
English Translation: Eirik Halvorson
Stage Adaptation and Final Author’s Version: Otar Pertakhia
Performer: Ika Gogoladze
Speech Mentor: Stacy Teter
Photographer: Dimitri Maisuradze
Graphic Design: Tekla Javakhadze
Running Time: 50 minutes
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