Charles Dullin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charles Dullin
Born	8 May 1885 Yenne, Savoie (now France)
Died	11 December 1949(1949-12-11) (aged 64) Paris, France
Occupation	Film director, actor

Charles Dullin (born May 8, 1885 – died December 11, 1949) was a famous French actor, theater manager, and director. He was known for his unique way of teaching acting and for creating plays that felt very real. Dullin believed in making actors truly connect with their roles. He wanted theater to be a powerful and expressive experience for everyone.

Charles Dullin's Career

Charles Dullin started his acting journey in plays called melodramas. These were often very dramatic and emotional. In 1908, he formed his first acting group with a friend, Saturnin Fabre. They called it the Théâtre de Foire, which means "Fair Theater." Here, they put on plays by Alexandre Arnoux.

Learning and Growing

Dullin learned a lot from famous theater teachers. He was a student of Jacques Copeau, a very important figure in French theater. Dullin joined Copeau's acting company for a while. He also trained with other great directors like Jacques Rouché, André Antoine, and Firmin Gémier.

In June 1920, Dullin began teaching his own acting classes. He taught at the Théâtre Antoine in Paris. This was a big step for him to share his ideas about acting.

The Théâtre de l'Atelier

In July 1921, Dullin started his own theater company. He named it Théâtre de l'Atelier, calling it a "laboratory theater." This meant it was a place for experiments and new ideas. He held auditions in Paris to find actors. Then, he took a small group of them to a town called Néronville.

There, they trained for ten to twelve hours every day! This small group of students, including Antonin Artaud and Marguerite Jamois, lived like a community. Dullin wanted them to share their lives and work. He believed this would create a new way of thinking about theater.

In 1922, his group moved into the Théâtre Montmartre in Paris. This theater was built way back in 1822. To help pay for the theater, Dullin's mother even sold some family belongings.

Later, in 1941, he moved his theater to the larger Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt. He stayed there until 1947. Sadly, he had to close it because of money problems.

Working in Movies

Charles Dullin also acted in many movies. He used the money he earned from films to support his theater work. During the 1930s, he was one of the most important French actors. He was famous on both the stage and the screen.

Dullin's Acting Ideas

Dullin had special ways of teaching actors. He focused a lot on:

• Mime: Acting without words, using only body movements.
• Gymnastics: Physical training to make the body strong and flexible.
• Voice production: Learning to use the voice clearly and powerfully.
• Improvisation: Making up scenes on the spot to improve quick thinking.

He believed in respecting the play's script. He also liked simple stage designs. Dullin wanted the actor to be the most important part of the show. He aimed to create a "total theater." In this theater, the stage world felt even more real and expressive than everyday life.

Dullin wanted to create a "complete actor." This meant actors who were well-rounded and skilled. They needed good speaking skills and strong physical training. They also needed to learn dance and pantomime. He wanted actors to connect with "the voice of the world" around them. This would help them find their own true voice.

In his classes, Dullin often used improvisation. He told his actors to "see before describing" and "hear before answering." He also encouraged them to "feel before trying to express themselves." He used things like bells, footsteps, and masks to help them prepare. His actors were encouraged to use their bodies more than their faces to express feelings. They often wore full or half masks.

Asian Theater Influences

Dullin was very interested in theater from East Asia, especially Japan. He became interested in Japanese theater as early as 1916. During World War I, he performed for soldiers. He noticed how some performances mixed dance, speech, and singing. He thought this was like Japanese theater.

He also acted in a play based on an old Chinese play. This was in 1911. He first had a small role, then played the Emperor. The director asked him to change some parts of the staging. This showed Dullin's early ideas about making theater more stylish.

In 1930, Dullin finally saw a real Japanese theater group perform in Paris. This was a big moment for him.

Death

Charles Dullin passed away in Paris on December 11, 1949. He became ill while on tour as an actor in Southern France.

Notable Students

Many famous actors and directors learned from Charles Dullin. Some of his well-known students include:

• Pascale de Boysson
• Antonin Artaud
• Jean-Louis Barrault
• Juozas Miltinis
• Étienne Decroux
• Juran Hisao
• Marcel Marceau

Notable Productions

Here are some of the famous plays and films Charles Dullin worked on:

As director

• Ben Jonson's Volpone
• Molière's L’Avare (The Miser)
• Sophocles's Antigone (with music by Arthur Honegger)
• Pirandello's The Pleasure of Honesty
• Shakespeare's Richard III

As actor

• Âmes d'orient (1919) - Agapian
• The Secret of Rosette Lambert (1920) - Bertrand
• L'Homme qui vendit son âme au diable (1921) - Le Diable (The Devil)
• Le Miracle des loups (1924) - Le roi Louis XI (King Louis XI)
• Le Joueur d'échecs (1927) - Baron von Kempelen
• Misdeal (1928) - Olivier Maldone
• Cagliostro (1929) - Marquis de Espada-Comte de Breteil
• Les Misérables (1934) - Thénardier
• Street of Shadows (1937) - Le colonel Mathésius
• L'Affaire du courrier de Lyon (1937) - Le témoin aveugle (The blind witness)
• Volpone (1941) - Corbaccio
• Le briseur de chaînes (1941) - Esprit Mouret
• Les jeux sont faits (1947) - Le marquis (The Marquis)
• Quai des Orfèvres (1947) - Georges Brignon
• Vagabonds imaginaires (1950) - Le récitant (segment 'Les étoiles') (voice) (final film role)

Images for kids

• 

  A robot for kids, representing learning and exploration.

See also

In Spanish: Charles Dullin para niños