Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich - experimental director

Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich is a famous Russian and Soviet director and actor, an outstanding theater figure. There are not many creative individuals who could boast of such a rich biography as Meyerhold's.

early years

Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich was born in 1874 in the Russian city of Pemza in a wealthy family of Germanized Lutherans. The real name is Karl Kazimir Theodor Meyerhold. Great influence on the education of Charles and the development in him of love for the theater had a mother - Alvina Danilovna. She arranged musical evenings and improvised performances, in which all her children took part.

The study was given to Karl very hard. He stayed several times in the second year, so he finished his studies quite late. After graduating from high school, he enters the Moscow University with the intention of obtaining a legal education. In the same year, after reaching the age of majority (21 years), Karl decided to change Prussian citizenship to Russian. He also decides to change the name. Since that time, he was called Vsevolod, as well as his favorite writer Garshin. Together with the name, he also changes his surname a little. In accordance with the rules of the Russian language, it now sounds like Meyerhold.

In his student years Vsevolod Emilievich marries his contemporary Olga Munt. By the time they graduate from university, their first child is born.

Work in the Moscow Art Theater

Since 1898, Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich began his career as a member of the Moscow Art Theater Company. There he gets acquainted with the school of psychological theater, but can not agree with her teaching and accept it.

During his time at the Moscow Art Theater he takes part in such productions as "The Death of Ivan the Terrible", "The Venetian Merchant", "Antigone", "Lonely People", "Seagull", "Three Sisters". However, dissatisfaction with the Stanislavsky system makes him quit the company and leave the theater.

"Partnership of a new drama"

Since 1902 Meyerhold's independent creative activity began . He moved to the province, where for two years he performs double duties: an actor and a director. During this time he managed to work in several theatrical groups.

Even during his work in such provincial cities as Nikolaev and Sevastopol, the studio "Association of a New Drama" was organized, which was headed by Meyerhold.

The director's biography is rich in events. After returning to Moscow in 1905, he received an offer from Stanislavsky to begin his service in the theater studio on Povarskaya Street. Together with the actors of his studio, he staged the play "The Death of the Tentage" based on M. Maeterlinck's play. In this production, Meyerhold managed to combine drama and ballet, as well as make an original musical and color design. However, six months after the start of the work, Stanislavsky refused to continue the experiment he had planned, and the theater studio where Meyerhold worked was being closed down.

Work in St. Petersburg

In the autumn of 1906 the Petersburg period of Meyerhold's work began. He received an offer to become the chief director of the Drama Theater, which was organized by Vera Fedorovna Komissarzhevskaya.

However, director Meyerhold seeks to try his hand not only in the production of dramatic plays. To master the conventions of the stage game, he puts a few pantomimes. Gradually, for such presentations begin to write individual, special scenarios.

While working in St. Petersburg, Vsevolod Meyerhold does not forget about his love for the game on stage. As an actor, he takes part in dramatic plays and ballet productions. For example, in 1910 he played the role of Pierrot in the presentation of Mikhail Fokin's "Carnival".

Gradually the performances of Meyerhold began to appear on the stage of European theaters. The first step on the way to fame was the ballet performance "Pisanello", which was staged at the Chatelet Theater in Paris.

And one more important point. Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich was one of those artists who supported the October Revolution.

The Meyerhold Theater (TIM)

In 1924, the director organized his own theater. He gets an opportunity to travel abroad with a troupe touring. They visited countries such as Germany, England, France, Italy, Czechoslovakia.

It was in TIM that classical plays of the XIX century were first staged. Among them are the famous "Inspector" by N. Gogol and "The Forest" by A. Ostrovsky. Work on them was a special stage in the creative biography of Meyerhold. To achieve greater entertainment and satire, the techniques of the Russian farce were used. Thanks to his director talent, Meyerhold was able to turn the stage space upside down.

He also conducted his experiments on contemporary plays. Each new production was perceived by critics and viewers as a scandalous incident.

Obviously, such an activity of an experimental director could not please the current regime, because his work did not fit into the framework of the new art. Therefore, in the late thirties, he, like many contemporaries, was repressed. And in February 1940 he was shot.