Shaig’s first plays were written during the period when playwriting in Azerbaijan was very popular. As his literary activity was closely linked with education and upbringing of younger generations, Shaig began creating theatrical plays aimed at younger audience, thus becoming founder of child playwriting in Azerbaijan. He wrote his first plays while being already known as an established poet, writer, translator and teacher.
In 1910 Abdulla Shaig started writing small plays and translated some fine samples of the world classics, changing and adapting them. Some of these plays focused on historical events while others reflected topical themes of those days. During the first period of his playwriting Shaig wrote a number of interesting plays such as Gözəl bahar(Beautiful Spring), Kimdir haqlı? (Who Is Right?), Çoban (Shepherd), Qurban bayramı (Kurban Bayram), Danışan gəlincik (Speaking Doll), İntiqamçı xoruz (Avenging Rooster), Ay doğdu (The Moon Has Risen), Aldanmış ulduzlar (Fooled Stars), Bir saat xəlifəlik (King for A Day), İldırım (Lightning) and Tələbə həyatı (Student Life), the latter dedicated to establishment of the Azerbaijani State University.
Gözəl bahar (Beautiful Spring), written in 1910 was Shaig’s first play for children. The first production of the play was prepared by Shaig and his young students. He was also the play’s first director, music producer and set designer. After its first production the play was staged numerous times by masters of Azerbaijani national theater.
Shaig’s playwriting can be divided into three stages. During the first stage, he created children’s plays which looked at the issues of upbringing, life and psychology of children and some of them were meant to be staged by schools. The second stage was marked by plays created for the Young Spectators’ Theater. During the final stage of his playwriting, Shaig wrote historical dramas.
After 1937 Shaig was mainly writing for the Young Spectators’ Theater. He was appointed as Head of Literature and Education Unit in the Theater, appointment being a turning point in Shaig’s career. He developed warm friendship ties with Theater personnel and its actors which resulted in successful collaboration and brought nation-wide fame to the Theater.
At a time when Shaig joined the Theater, its repertoire did not contain any plays about or for schoolchildren. Shaig created Xasay (Khasay), Eloğlu (Son of The Nation), Vətən (Motherland), Qaraca Qız (Dark skinned Girl), Fitnə (Fitne) and other legendary plays that can still be seen in the repertoire of the Young Spectators Theater today. Some of Shaig’s plays and tales for children are also staged in the Puppet Theater named after Abdulla Shaig in Baku.

Research by
Dr. Minakhanum Asadova