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.
Contents
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.
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.
Personal life
Pitoëff married actress Ludmilla Pitoëff in 1915. 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.