Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich - a famous Russian and Soviet film director and actor, an outstanding theater figure. There are not many creative personalities who could boast of such a rich biography as that of Meyerhold.
early years
Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich was born in 1874 in the Russian city of Pemza into a rather poor family of German-born Lutheran Jews. Real name - Karl Casimir Theodor Meyergold. The mother, Alvina Danilovna, had a huge influence on Karl’s education and the development of love for the theater in him. She arranged musical evenings and improvised performances in which all her children took part.
Studying was very difficult for Karl. He stayed several times in the second year, so he graduated quite late. After graduating from high school, he enters Moscow University with the intention of receiving a law degree. In the same year, after reaching the age of majority (21 years), Karl decides to change Prussian citizenship to Russian. He also decides to change his name. Since that time, he began to be called Vsevolod, as well as his beloved writer Garshin. Together with the name, he changes the name a little. In accordance with the rules of the Russian language, she now sounds like Meyerhold.
In his student years, Vsevolod Emilievich marries his peer Olga Mount. By the time they graduate, their first child is born.
Work at the Moscow Art Theater
Since 1898, Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich begins his service as part of the troupe of the Moscow Art Theater. There he gets acquainted with the school of psychological theater, but cannot agree with its teaching and accept it.
During his time at the Moscow Art Theater, he takes part in such productions as The Death of John the Terrible, The Venetian Merchant, Antigone, Lonely People, The Seagull, Three Sisters. However, dissatisfaction with the system of Stanislavsky makes him leave the troupe and leave the theater.
Partnership of a New Drama
Since 1902, the independent creative activity of Meyerhold begins. He moves to the province, where for two years he has been performing double duties: actor and director. During this time, he managed to work in several theater groups.
Even during his work in such provincial cities as Nikolaev and Sevastopol, the Studio "New Drama Partnership" was organized, led by Meyerhold.
The biography of the director is eventful. After returning to Moscow in 1905, he received an offer from Stanislavsky to begin his service in the studio theater on Povarskaya. Together with the actors of his studio, he staged the play "Death of Tentagil" based on the play by M. Meterlink. In this production, Meyerhold managed to combine drama and ballet, as well as to make original musical and color design. However, six months after the start of work, Stanislavsky refused to continue the experiment he planned, and the theater studio in which Meyerhold worked was closed.
Work in St. Petersburg
In the fall of 1906, the St. Petersburg period of Meyerhold began. He received an offer to become the main 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 sets up several pantomimes. Gradually, for such representations, separate, special scripts begin to be written.
While working in St. Petersburg, Vsevolod Meyerhold does not forget about his love for playing 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 performance of Mikhail Fokin "Carnival".
Gradually, Meyerhold’s performances began to appear on the stage of European theaters. The first step towards fame was the Pisanello ballet, which was staged at the Chatelet Theater in Paris.
And one more important touch. Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich was one of those artists who supported the October Revolution.
Meyerhold Theater (TIM)
In 1924, the director organized his own theater. He gets the opportunity to travel abroad with the troupe on tour. They visited countries such as Germany, England, France, Italy, Czechoslovakia.
It was in TIM that classical plays of the 19th century were first staged. Among them are the famous "Examiner" N. Gogol and the "Forest" A. Ostrovsky. Work on them was a special stage in Meyerhold’s creative biography. To achieve greater entertainment and satirism, the techniques of the Russian farce were used. Thanks to his directorial talent, Meyerhold was able to turn the stage space upside down.
He conducted his experiments on modern plays. Each new production was perceived by critics and viewers as a scandalous incident.
Obviously, such an activity of the 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.