Jovan Ćirilov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jovan Ćirilov
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Ćirilov at a conference in 2009
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| Born | 30 August 1931 Kikinda, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
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| Died | 16 November 2014 (aged 83) |
| Occupation | Theatrologist, philosopher, writer, theatre selector, poet |
| Years active | 1955–2014 |
Jovan Ćirilov (pronounced: YOH-vahn Chee-REE-lov; 30 August 1931 – 16 November 2014) was a famous Serbian expert in theatre, a philosopher, writer, and poet. He was known for his important work in the world of plays and performances.
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Jovan Ćirilov: A Life in Theatre
Jovan Ćirilov was born in Kikinda, a town in Serbia. He was the only son of Milivoj and Jelica Ćirilov. After finishing school, he studied philosophy at the University of Belgrade. He graduated in 1955.
Leading Theatre Companies
Jovan Ćirilov spent many years working in theatre. From 1985 to 1999, he was the head of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre. Before that, he worked as a dramaturge. A dramaturge is someone who helps choose plays and works with writers and directors. He worked at Atelje 212 from 1967 to 1985.
BITEF Festival Director
One of his biggest achievements was leading the BITEF festival. This is a very important international theatre festival. Jovan was the artistic director and selector for BITEF from its start in 1967 until 2014. This makes him the longest-serving director in the history of international theatre festivals. In 2000, BITEF received a special award from the Europe Theatre Prize jury.
International Roles and Writings
From 2001 to 2007, Jovan Ćirilov was the President of the National Commission of Yugoslavia, and later Serbia, for UNESCO. UNESCO is an organization that promotes education, science, and culture around the world.
He also wrote many different types of works:
- Plays like Room for four and House of Silence.
- Scripts for movies, including Real state of situation and Where after the rain.
- Radio plays, such as Windy Roads.
He adapted famous books for the stage, like The Damned Yard by Ivo Andrić. He also wrote novels, poetry, essays about theatre, and books of memories.
Translator and Columnist
Jovan Ćirilov was also a talented translator. He translated plays by famous writers like Bertolt Brecht and Tom Stoppard. He even translated the musical Hair.
He wrote regular columns in popular magazines and newspapers. His column "Word of the week" appeared in NIN magazine for many years. He also wrote for the Blic newspaper.
Languages Spoken
Jovan Ćirilov was very good with languages. He spoke German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Serbian. He even studied Chinese!
Passing of Jovan Ćirilov
Jovan Ćirilov passed away in Belgrade on 16 November 2014, after a short illness. He was buried in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens in the Belgrade New Cemetery. This is a special place where many important people are laid to rest.
Key Works by Jovan Ćirilov
Jovan Ćirilov created a wide range of works during his life. Here are some examples:
Published Books
- The journey for grammar, a collection of poems (1972).
- Some time in Salzburg, a novel (1980).
- Word of the Week, a collection of his newspaper articles (1997 and 2006).
- All of my contemporaries, a collection of short biographies (2010/11).
- Mothers of the famous, another collection of short biographies (2011).
Theatrical Works
- Travels in Theatre (1988).
- Dramatic writers my contemporaries (1989).
- Diaries (1999).
Dramas, Plays, and Scripts
- Room for four, a play.
- House of Silence, another play.
- The Real State of Affairs, a movie script.
- Where after the rain?, a movie script shown in Venice and Moscow.
- Windy Roads, a radio play in German.
- The Damned Yard by Ivo Andrić, adapted for the stage.
Dictionaries He Created
Jovan Ćirilov also worked on dictionaries:
- Dictionary of new words (1982).
- Dictionary of poetic images (1985).
- New Dictionary of new words (1991).
Anthologies He Edited
He also put together collections of plays:
- The shortest plays in the World (1999).
- Short, shorter and shortest plays in the world (2008).
Awards and Recognitions
Jovan Ćirilov received many awards for his contributions to theatre and culture:
- Two Sterija Awards for his theatre reviews and for promoting theatre arts.
- The Statuette of Joakim Vujić (1990).
- Foundation "Braća Karić" Award for his journalism.
- October Award of Belgrade for his lifetime achievements.
- Order of "Knight of Art and Literature" from France (1992).
- Sretenje Order from Serbia (2012).
