Dimitris Rontiris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dimitris Rontiris
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Dimitris Rontiris (on the left, back to camera) during a visit to East Berlin. 8 October 1963.
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| Died | December 20, 1982 (aged 82–83) |
| Nationality | Greek |
| Occupation | Actor |
Dimitris Rontiris (Greek: Δημήτρης Ροντήρης) was a famous Greek actor and director. He was born in 1899 and passed away on December 20, 1981. He is remembered for his important work in Greek theatre, especially for directing many classic plays.
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Dimitris Rontiris: A Life in Theatre
Dimitris Rontiris was born in Piraeus, a city in Greece. He first started his education at a military school. However, he soon changed his path to study law at the University of Athens.
Early Acting and Studies
Rontiris began his acting career in 1919. He loved theatre so much that he decided to travel to Austria. There, he studied theatre, art history, and ancient Greek philosophy. Later, he moved to Berlin, Germany. In Berlin, he met a very famous director named Max Reinhardt. This meeting was very important for his future.
Directing in Greece
After his studies abroad, Dimitris Rontiris returned to Greece. He started directing plays at the Odeio Theatre. His first directing job was a musical drama called To daktili tis manas (Mother's Ring).
In 1933, he became the director of the Royal Theatre. He directed many popular plays there. In 1937, he directed a very well-known version of Hamlet. This play starred famous actors like Aimilios Veakis and Katina Paxinou. In 1938, he also directed a play called Electra (Sophocles play).
Leading the National Theatre
Dimitris Rontiris became a director at the National Theatre of Greece. He held this important role from 1946 to 1950. He returned to lead the theatre again from 1953 to 1955.
He also managed his own theatre groups. These included the Greek Scene (Ελληνική Σκηνή Elliniki Skini) and the Piraeus Theatre in 1957. With these groups, he traveled and performed in many countries. He took his shows to Europe, North and South America, and Asia.
His Legacy in Theatre
Rontiris directed a wide range of plays. He worked on plays from ancient times to more modern works. He directed eleven plays by the famous writer William Shakespeare. He also directed many other classic tragedies.
He even took his productions of Electra (Sophocles play) and Hamlet to other countries. In 1932, he staged these plays with the Royal Theatre in England and Germany. In 1949, he directed a famous trilogy by Aeschylus at the Herodes Atticus Odeum. This was a very important event in Greek theatre history.
