She was a unique and unusually talented lyceum of the theater world of the last century. Having played over thirty dramatic images in the Meyerhold temple of Melpomene, actress Babanova fell in love with an unimaginably huge number of spectators. She had a voice, which was a harmonious combination of fabulous "softness" and gentle lyricism. Actress Babanova for a long time performed on the radio, her tales and performances were adored by millions of citizens of the Soviet Union. Her talent for acting was so multifaceted that on the theater stage she managed to create a number of multifaceted roles. What was the creative path of the Soviet actress? Let's consider this question in more detail.
Curriculum Vitae
Babanova Maria Ivanova was born in the capital on October 29, 1900. Her childhood passed in Zamoskvorechye. The family of the future actress adhered to patriarchal principles. According to some sources, Babanova’s father came from a family of gypsy barons, while others refer to the fact that he was a representative of the working intelligentsia.
One way or another, but the actress Babanova reluctantly recalled her childhood, believing that she did not have it in principle, since there were a huge number of prohibitions.
Study
Soon, the girl enters the Commercial School (in the future Plekhanovskoe), where she demonstrates her unique voice data: she reads prose and poetry at concerts with special inspiration.
By the will of fate, the period of Babanova’s youth coincided with the time when the theatrical world was undergoing rapid development: various variations of the scenic directions were created, which helped novice hypocrites “find themselves” in the profession. Creative searches ultimately determined her future destiny.
After college, she becomes a student at the Commercial Institute, and then transferred to 2nd Moscow State University.
In 1919, the future actress Babanova undergoes selection at the KhPSRO Theater Studio (Artistic Educational Union of Workers' Organizations), led by M. Bebutov and F. Komissarzhevsky. It was on the stage of this temple of Melpomene that Maria Ivanovna made her debut as an actress. She was approved for the role of Fanshetta in the production of "The Wedding of Figaro." In this university, as the actress recalls, she was taught, rather than the main, but secondary things: fencing, rhythm, acrobatics - all this was a new and incomprehensible test for her.
Soon, the HPSRO studio was reorganized: it became an integral part of the 1st Theater of the RSFSR created by Meyerhold.
Babanova Maria Ivanovna is now studying at the Higher Director's Workshops organized by Vsevolod Emilievich.
The beginning of a theatrical career
In 1922, the novice Lyceum fell into the troupe of the Actor Theater under the direction of Meyerhold (later GITIS). On the stage of this temple of Melpomene was the premiere of the production of Vsevolod Emilievich "The Magnificent Cuckold", in which Babanova took part. The day after this event, an unknown candidate woke up famous. Critics noted that another bright talent appeared in the theater world.
A year after the triumphal performance, Maria Ivanovna Babanova, an actress well-known by Soviet audiences, will try on the image of Polina in the play “Profitable Place” on the stage of the Theater of Revolution. Again, the production of the work took up the eminent Meyerhold. And here theatrical critics noted the high level of mastery of the lyceum.
Leaving Meyerhold Theater
Soon after brilliant performances, Maria Babanova takes the place of the leading prima of the theater, headed by Vsevolod Emilievich. But Meyerhold preferred that his wife “Zinaida Reich” “sit” on it. However, in the confrontation of the talents of the two actresses, Babanova won.
In 1927, Maria Ivanovna was forced to leave the Meyerhold Theater and go to the Theater of the Revolution, which she will serve for the rest of her life. And yet she will always thank her teacher, who opened the way for her to the art of acting. In the Theater of Revolution, she will play many brilliant roles: “Poem about an Ax” (Anka), “Dowry” (Larisa), “Sons of the Three Rivers” (Marie), “Romeo and Juliet” (Juliet).
Experts have repeatedly talked about how filigree and talented it is possible to play Babanova on the stage.
"Difficult" actress
However, in her career there were not only ups, but also downs. It also happened that, despite her high mastery of the game, the viewer did not remember the images into which Babanova reincarnated. Over the years, Maria Ivanovna became more selective in her work and her numerous refusals from what seemed to her to be “uninteresting” roles caused an offense among the directors. Some of them even began to call the "difficult" actress.
In 1979, she last appeared on the theatrical stage, taking part in the play "It's Over" (Edward Albee), which was staged by Oleg Efremov at the Moscow Art Theater.
Family life
Undoubtedly, Maria Babanova is an actress whose personal life was far from the trivial scenario. She married several times. Even in early youth, the actress, secretly from her father and mother, became the wife of a classmate. At that time they were happy: they went on a visit, had fun having sincere conversations, heated debates over various political beliefs. Over time, the marriage began to crack. He went to distant Kazakhstan, and more than Babanova Maria Ivanovna, whose husbands “didn’t have any soul in her”, she never saw her husband again.
The second choice of the actress was a dance partner - David Lipman, with whom she did not live long. The third husband of Babanova was the famous writer F. Knorre - she broke up with him after the Great Patriotic War.
Maria Ivanovna died on March 20, 1983, she was buried in the Novodevichy cemetery of the capital.