Nicolae Massim (1909â€"1981) was a Romanian theater director. A
graduate of the School of Liberal Arts and Philosophy of the
University of Cluj, Romania, and of the Institute of Dramatic Arts and
Cinematography (IATC) of Bucharest, he made his directorial debut
staging historical plays by the renowned historian Nicolae Iorga at
the Cultural League Theatre of the People's University that Iorga
founded in the town of Vălenii de Munte.At the National Theatre
Bucharest, Nicolae Massim made his debut as assistant director to Ion
Sahighian, and during long and distinguished career with the National
Theatre, Nicolae Massim directed many memorable hits such as Othello,
The House of Bernarda Alba or "The Glass of Water". In parallel with
his activity at the National Theatre of Bucharest, Nicolae Massim was
a professor, and for a while the dean of the Stage Directing
department, within the Institute of Dramatic Arts and Cinematography
(IATC) of Bucharest.In 1945, together with Lucia Calomeri, an actress,
Elena Pătrăşcanu and Lena Constante, set design artists, Nicolae
Massim founded the world-famous "Ţăndărica" Marionette and Puppet
Theatre of Bucharest. Recruiting a first nucleus of talented and
enthusiastic puppeteers such as Dorina TÇŽnÇŽsescu, Antigona
Papazicopol and Elvira Chladek, and using the voices of reputed actors
from the National Theatre of Bucharest, Nicolae Massim directed the
first marionette show in Romania "With Ţăndărica to the Southern
Seas". After that, throughout his entire career, Nicolae Massim
remained an enthusiastic contributor to the theatre being an artistic
mentor of stage director Margareta Niculescu, his former student at
IATC, who in 1949 replaced Lucia Calomeri as artistic director of the
theatre.After a long and distinguished directorial and teaching
career, Nicolae Massim was forced to leave the National Theatre
Bucharest for political reasons and accept an artistic director
position of the less prestigious "Youth Theatre". At that theatre
Nicolae Massim worked with young and promising actors such as Florin
Vasiliu, George Marcovici, Olga Tudorache, Mircea Anghelescu, the
Ciprian brothers, the Marsellos brothers or the Sahighian sisters,
contributing to establishing them as stars in memorable plays such as
a stage adaptation of Dickens' David Copperfield, Schiller's The
Brigands, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Shaw's Bunbery and
many others. In addition to helping young talents achieve stardom,
Nicolae Massim was also diligent to bring back to the limelight
established veterans of the Romanian stage, such as Maria Filotti, who
had been condemned to oblivion by the communist authorities because of
their "bourgeois" origins.
graduate of the School of Liberal Arts and Philosophy of the
University of Cluj, Romania, and of the Institute of Dramatic Arts and
Cinematography (IATC) of Bucharest, he made his directorial debut
staging historical plays by the renowned historian Nicolae Iorga at
the Cultural League Theatre of the People's University that Iorga
founded in the town of Vălenii de Munte.At the National Theatre
Bucharest, Nicolae Massim made his debut as assistant director to Ion
Sahighian, and during long and distinguished career with the National
Theatre, Nicolae Massim directed many memorable hits such as Othello,
The House of Bernarda Alba or "The Glass of Water". In parallel with
his activity at the National Theatre of Bucharest, Nicolae Massim was
a professor, and for a while the dean of the Stage Directing
department, within the Institute of Dramatic Arts and Cinematography
(IATC) of Bucharest.In 1945, together with Lucia Calomeri, an actress,
Elena Pătrăşcanu and Lena Constante, set design artists, Nicolae
Massim founded the world-famous "Ţăndărica" Marionette and Puppet
Theatre of Bucharest. Recruiting a first nucleus of talented and
enthusiastic puppeteers such as Dorina TÇŽnÇŽsescu, Antigona
Papazicopol and Elvira Chladek, and using the voices of reputed actors
from the National Theatre of Bucharest, Nicolae Massim directed the
first marionette show in Romania "With Ţăndărica to the Southern
Seas". After that, throughout his entire career, Nicolae Massim
remained an enthusiastic contributor to the theatre being an artistic
mentor of stage director Margareta Niculescu, his former student at
IATC, who in 1949 replaced Lucia Calomeri as artistic director of the
theatre.After a long and distinguished directorial and teaching
career, Nicolae Massim was forced to leave the National Theatre
Bucharest for political reasons and accept an artistic director
position of the less prestigious "Youth Theatre". At that theatre
Nicolae Massim worked with young and promising actors such as Florin
Vasiliu, George Marcovici, Olga Tudorache, Mircea Anghelescu, the
Ciprian brothers, the Marsellos brothers or the Sahighian sisters,
contributing to establishing them as stars in memorable plays such as
a stage adaptation of Dickens' David Copperfield, Schiller's The
Brigands, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Shaw's Bunbery and
many others. In addition to helping young talents achieve stardom,
Nicolae Massim was also diligent to bring back to the limelight
established veterans of the Romanian stage, such as Maria Filotti, who
had been condemned to oblivion by the communist authorities because of
their "bourgeois" origins.
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