Mako Saparova-Abashidze
Mako Saparova-Abashidze | |
|---|---|
მაკო საფაროვა-აბაშიძე | |
 Mako Saparova-Abashidze | |
| Born | Mariam Saparova 18 February 1860 Telavi, Tiflis Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 25 May 1940 (aged 80) Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Occupations | Actress, translator |
| Years active | 1878–1923 |
| Spouse | Vaso Abashidze |
Mariam "Mako" Saparova-Abashidze (Georgian: მაკო საფაროვა-აბაშიძე; 18 February 1860 – 25 May 1940) was a Georgian stage actress. One of the founders of the first Georgian professional theatre company, she was a leading actress of the Georgian stage for several decades and was named a People's Artist of the Georgian SSR in 1925.[1]
Early life
Saparova was born on 18 February 1860 in Telavi, in eastern Georgia, into an impoverished noble family.[2] Her family's home was a gathering place for Georgian writers, among them Ilia Chavchavadze and Akaki Tsereteli, and it was at Tsereteli's encouragement that she went on the stage.[2][1]
Career
Saparova-Abashidze made her stage debut in 1878 and in 1879 became a founding member of the first permanent Georgian professional theatre company, established with the support of Ilia Chavchavadze and Akaki Tsereteli.[2][1] Over her long career she played a wide range of roles, including Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet, Liza in Griboedov's Woe from Wit, and Maria Antonovna in Gogol's The Government Inspector.[1] She also translated Russian and French plays into Georgian and worked for a time as a theatre manager.[1] Her last stage appearance was in 1923, at the Rustaveli Theatre.[1]
Personal life
Saparova-Abashidze was married to the actor Vaso Abashidze; their daughter, Anastasia "Taso" Abashidze, was also a noted actress.[1][2] She died in Tbilisi on 25 May 1940 and was buried at the Vake Cemetery.[1]
References
Further reading
- Chkheidze, D. (1963). Mako Saparova-Abashidze (in Georgian). Tbilisi.