#rdaj

[morieli]

RdaJ truths…… T’ibalt’i is a cunt…… Merk’utsio is a dickhead…… Benvolio is trying and failing to be a priest……. Romeo is Romeo…. And Juliet’a gets to have the temper tantrums she rightfully deserves.

[morieli]

enlighten more on your georgian retj please dawg

რომეო და ჯულიეტა⁉️⁉️⁉️

One of my favorite most immediate things about RdaJ which kind of inspired the entire thing is Le Bal, which would EASILY be based off the 2010 revival, there’s a Georgian dance called the Khanjluri where the dancers are all dressed in red and throw daggers, and one of the most famous Georgian dance schools has posted a performance of it (clip below) that reminded me of Le Bal

I am also very torn how much Georgian dance I’d hypothetically WANT in RdaJ because typically it’s very strict and rigid and doesn’t allow much fluidity and freedom, at least none that I’ve seen, but Le Bal would definitely include elements of the Khanjluri, and Le Duel would include elements of the Khevsuruli, which kind of encapsulates the entirety of Romeo and Juliet; the dance traditionally starts with a man and a woman flirting, then another man enters and starts a fight with the other, and it descends into battle from there, the fighting ends with a woman (I imagine she would be death in this scenario) entering the stage and throwing her veil.

The gif below is a little clip from a Khevsuruli, and the main issue with it is that it’s super complicated and you have to be really good to do it, obviously in theatre no real swords or shields would be used but the sentiment is certainly there and it’s far more an ensemble thing than it is a main cast thing

When it comes to translating Romeo et Juliette into Georgian it gets difficult because my grasp on Georgian isn’t 100% and Georgian is an inherently clunky language at times, as pretty as it looks (კბილებით = k’bilebit meaning “with teeth” or ტკივილგამაყუჩებელი = t’k’ivilgamayuchebeli meaning “painkillers”) it’s really difficult to work with, I haven’t even been able to find a full translation of Romeo and Juliet in Georgian; also, Georgian slang is really difficult to learn if your grasp on the language isn’t good, which makes it hard to read and translate, along with some words simply not existing in English.

The translation I have that I’m proudest of is for C’est Le Jour, though it’s a bit clunky and should be edited:

“Mourir de jalousie / sidzulvilit davighup’ebi

C'est mourir d'amour aussi / siq’varulis khelit movk’vdebi

Ne me parlez pas d'honneur / tsut’isopeli gardatsvalebamde

C'est par amour que les hommes meurent / chailuris ts’q’als ar davlev”

MEANING:

“I will perish of hatred, (but) I will die by the hand of love. Life unto death*, I will not die and be forgotten**”

* the actual translation is more so something like “The world of a minute (life) changes/twists/turns” as the verb used for “to die” is essentially saying change/twist/turn/shift/etc. and the word for life is translated to “the world of a minute,” it’s just those words that don’t exist in English.

** “chailuris ts’q’als ar davlev” is a regional Georgian phrase so I’m apprehensive about using it but I like the way it sounds better than just having a literal translation, the chailuri is a river in Georgia, where during some ethnic wars in the earlier years of the country, people would be kidnapped and taken across the river, and then they were as good as dead, so it became a phrase, “to drink the water of the chailuri” which means to disappear and be forgotten shortly afterward

Anyways, other little details include:

- Tybalt’s dagger is a Khanjali! I draw him with one anyways

- In my mind, during Verone, the Capulets would be more related to Georgian mountain dances, such as the Kazbeguri

- I would love to bastardize the musical a little bit and include “Shen Khar Venakhi” in Aimer some how

Random costume design inspiration from traditional Georgian theatre that I would love btw

Yap over…… RdaJ please be real please I’ll do anything

[morieli]

just wanted to say t'ibalt'i is beautiful

He knows

[morieli]

juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust wondering, do you have anything on what each character in rdaj wears? concepts, photos, etc? also, what interested you in georgia(n)? sorry for all the questions, i am merely interested! hope you have a nice day/afternoon/night!

Yeah!! The reason I’m so into Georgia is because I’m partially Georgian myself, and I got very into the culture language and country in 2022, and I’ve made it a point to kind of include it in everything I do, the name “Morieli” means “Scorpion” in Georgian.

I don’t have much other than photos for costumes!!! So I’ll give you those, but I think set wise it’d be very similar to RetJ.

Below is what T’ibalt’i’s costume is based off of! It’s a mix of toreador and prince costumes from Georgian theatre.

Then we have Merk’utsio!!! He and Paris would have similar ish clothing I think, in this version of Romeo and Juliet I want to lean into everyone kind of being not really that great of a person, so Paris and Merk’utsio would have similar aesthetics.

The prince would wear something very traditional, practically identical to a Chokha such as this I’d say.

Then this for Benvolio specifically!!! Though he and Romeo would be similar of course

These two are closer to what I think Juliet’a wears!! Though more red than purple and gray of course

[morieli]

Ugh tibalti call me anyways glimpse at his regular* design let me. Be self indulgent and explain

The weird spikes you see is just VERY stylized fur, specifically wolf fur: it is said that Georgia means “Land of the Wolves” and while Georgia does not have a national animal, many consider the wolf to be the national animal: Tybalt wearing the fur of one is meant to imply that he’s impulsive/hot-headed and untrustworthy.

Attached to the wolf fur is a Gazyr: it’s essentially gunpowder cartridges, which wouldn’t exist back when Romeo and Juliet takes place (Georgian Chokha’s only really adopted them in the 19th century), but they’re intricate little things that also hold a warning, I think I’d make the Gazyr’s a signature thing of the Capulets.

Overall Tybalt’s costume is a mix of Georgian theatre costumes (specifically those of Toreadors/Matadors) and a traditional Chokha

[morieli]

I literally just found your blog but im very happy there’s someone who understands the Tybalt fixation (mine’s on Szibalt bc live laugh love SzPSz) but you once posted something about Georgian Tybalt and PLEASE I need a video or image of this man im begging

OH MY GOSH HIIII I just got off of work (3 am.) but HELLOOOOO yess oh my gosh I love the tybalt fixation it’s great.., now about Georgian tybalt…. He’s not real ☹️ there isn’t a Georgian production of RetJ and it breaks my heart, Drew rossbalt in a Chokha once or twice but there’s not a proper RdaJ 💔💔 I do have sketches of a proper Georgian tybalt and characterizations and how I’d want the characters portrayed in RdaJ along with a handful of translations though!! There’s a good handful of Knight In The Panthers Skin influence + traditional Georgian dance in it

[morieli]

do any of your rdaj characters wear jewelry? any rings, earrings, etc? what would they look like?

Yes! Plenty of the characters wear jewelry I think! I would say T’ibalt’i wears rings and bracelets, Merk’utsio has his ears pierced, Juliet’s gets bracelets and necklaces and whatnot, the Prince gets all sorts of riches;

Georgian Jewelry is at its most distinct in the 4th century generally, and it features plenty of gold, garnet, turquoise, and sometimes pearls, agate or glass, such as these earrings.

I’m particularly fond of the bracelets made in Georgia!!

Georgians also liked to have golden or jeweled belts! I’d like to add that into a Benvolio or Romeo design I think, seems very them.

On another note, Georgian jewelry leaning into turquoise and garnet, I think that, of course, Capulets would wear garnet, Montagues would wear turquoise, Mercutio and Paris and The Prince can get agates and pearls and all the other fancy stuff they desire!!!!

But yyeaaaaah that’s all I got!! Georgian jewelry is cool! Sadly gets flushed out by all the “Georgian era” jewelry, which is cool too but not what I’m looking for,, but yeah!!! Georgian jewelry :]

[morieli]

I’m brainstorming RdaJ stuff yk just bc and I think I’m just going to proudly make every character the worst version of themselves with sprinkles of other stuff I have also decided that if I make a C’est Pas Ma Faute translation it will be called “Udanashaulo Var/Unak’lo Var” meaning “I am innocent/I am flawless”