Mikhail Yegorovich Darski (Russian: Михаил Егорович
Ð"Ð°Ñ€Ñ ÐºÐ¸Ð¹, born Psaryan, Russified as either Psarov or Shavrov; 1
September 1865 - 3 May 1930) was a Tiflis-born Russian actor, theatre
director and reader in drama.A Saint Petersburg University alumnus, he
started acting as an amateur in 1882 and in 1884 became a
professional, working first in the Russian capital's summer theatres
and clubs, then in Vitebsk, Minsk, Zhitomir, Vilno. In 1898 Darski
joined the Moscow Art Theatre where his performance as Shylock in
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice cause huge scandal. Stanislavsky,
while praising the actor's fiery temperament and 'wondrous voice' was
less happy with what he saw as 'provincial routine' in his manner of
presenting the character and insisted that Darski should emphasise
Shylock's ethnicity. This strategy badly backfired. Darski's grotesque
portrayal of Shylock prompted accusations in the press of
anti-Semitism, and the production was cancelled after ten
performances. Darski's other premiere roles in MAT were Prince Andrey
Shuyski in Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich by A.K. Tolstoy and Haemon in
Antigone by Sophocles.Mikhail Darski left MAT in 1899 and, after more
work in the province, in 1902 joined the Alexandrinsky Theatre with
which he stayed until 1924. Here he produced The Seagull by Anton
Chekhov and played, among others, the roles of Hamlet, Shylock and
Boris Godunov (The Death of Ivan the Terrible by A.K. Tolstoy). Since
1905 Darski was also a reader in drama. In 1930 he was honoured with
the title the Meritorious Artist of RSFSR.
Ð"Ð°Ñ€Ñ ÐºÐ¸Ð¹, born Psaryan, Russified as either Psarov or Shavrov; 1
September 1865 - 3 May 1930) was a Tiflis-born Russian actor, theatre
director and reader in drama.A Saint Petersburg University alumnus, he
started acting as an amateur in 1882 and in 1884 became a
professional, working first in the Russian capital's summer theatres
and clubs, then in Vitebsk, Minsk, Zhitomir, Vilno. In 1898 Darski
joined the Moscow Art Theatre where his performance as Shylock in
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice cause huge scandal. Stanislavsky,
while praising the actor's fiery temperament and 'wondrous voice' was
less happy with what he saw as 'provincial routine' in his manner of
presenting the character and insisted that Darski should emphasise
Shylock's ethnicity. This strategy badly backfired. Darski's grotesque
portrayal of Shylock prompted accusations in the press of
anti-Semitism, and the production was cancelled after ten
performances. Darski's other premiere roles in MAT were Prince Andrey
Shuyski in Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich by A.K. Tolstoy and Haemon in
Antigone by Sophocles.Mikhail Darski left MAT in 1899 and, after more
work in the province, in 1902 joined the Alexandrinsky Theatre with
which he stayed until 1924. Here he produced The Seagull by Anton
Chekhov and played, among others, the roles of Hamlet, Shylock and
Boris Godunov (The Death of Ivan the Terrible by A.K. Tolstoy). Since
1905 Darski was also a reader in drama. In 1930 he was honoured with
the title the Meritorious Artist of RSFSR.
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