early life and background giorgi eristavi, a prominent georgian playwright, poet, journalist, and founder of modern georgian theatre, was born in 1813 in the village of odzisi, near dusheti, georgia. his family, once serving as the eristavi ('duke') of ksani, laid the groundwork for his future endeavors. theatre and literary contributions eristavi is widely regarded as the sole significant dramatist in georgian literature of the 18th and 19th centuries. his notable works include: sheshlili (insane, 1839), his first comedy gakra (separation, 1849), a comedy that well describes the elder gener…