Georges Pitoëff
Russian-born French stage actor and director
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Georges Pitoëff (Russian: Георгий Питоев; 4 September 1884 – 17 September 1939) was a Russian-born French stage actor and director with an Armenian background. He became one of the leading actors and directors in France.
4 September 1884
Georges Pitoëff | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Gevorg Ovanesovich Pitoyan 4 September 1884 |
| Died | 17 September 1939 (aged 55) Bellevue, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 7, including Sacha |
Early life and education
Pitoëff was born Gevorg Ovanesovich Pitoyan on 4 September 1884 in Tiflis, Russian Empire (now Tbilisi, Georgia) to prominent Russian-born parents of Armenian origin. His father was the director of the Tiflis Imperial Theatre. After studying and graduating in law at Paris University, he switched his focus to a career in the theatre. Back in Russia, Pitoëff trained with Konstantin Stanislavski.[1]
Career
In France he became a theatre director and producer, noted for his popularization of the works of contemporary playwrights, especially George Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekhov, Arthur Schnitzler, Henrik Ibsen, and Eugene O'Neill. He was a founding member of the Cartel des Quatre (Group of Four), a group including Louis Jouvet, Charles Dullin, and Gaston Baty, dedicated to rejuvenating the French theatre.[2]
Personal life
Pitoëff married actress Ludmilla Pitoëff in 1915.[citation needed] One of their sons, Alexandre, known as Sacha Pitoëff, was himself a noted theatre director and actor.
Death
Pitoëff died on 17 September 1939 in Bellevue, near Geneva, Switzerland.
