Mārtiņš Zīverts facts for kids
Mārtiņš Zīverts (born July 27, 1903, died October 4, 1990) was a famous Latvian playwright. A playwright is someone who writes plays for the theater. He was born in a place called Mežmuiža, which is now part of Vilce parish in Latvia. He later passed away in Stockholm, Sweden.
A Life in Theater
Mārtiņš Zīverts grew up in Mežmuiža, a village in what was then called Courland Governorate, now part of Latvia. He was very interested in learning, so he went to the University of Latvia in Riga. There, he studied philosophy, which is about big ideas and how we think.
After his studies, Zīverts started working at the Latvian National Theatre in Riga. He was an editor, helping to prepare texts, and a dramaturgist. A dramaturgist helps plays come to life, working with writers and directors to make sure the story is clear and exciting.
In 1944, during a difficult time, Zīverts had to leave Latvia and became a refugee in Sweden. Even though he often worked in different jobs to make a living, he never stopped writing. He continued to create and direct plays. He also became the chairman of the Latvian PEN center, an organization that supports writers. Mārtiņš Zīverts was very productive, writing more than 50 plays in many different styles!
His Many Plays
Mārtiņš Zīverts wrote a huge number of plays during his life. Here are some of his well-known works:
- Hasana harēms, 1927
- Nafta, 1931
- Kropļi, 1933
- Zelta zeme, 1933
- Galvu aukšā, 1935
- Āksts, 1936
- kolka, 1937
- Galvu augšā!, 1937
- Tīreļpurvs, 1937
- Partizāni, 1938
- Trakais juris, 1939
- Cilvēks grib dzīvot, 1939
- Ķīnas vāze, 1940
- Minhauzena precības, 1941
- Nauda, 1943
- Pāveste, 1944
- Vara, 1944
- Karātavu komēdija, 1946
- Divkauja, 1946
- Kāds, kura nav, 1947
- Zaļā krūze, 1949
- Rūda, 1954
- Čūska, 1960.
- Meli meklē meli, 1962
- Pēdējā laiva, 1967
- Kaļostro Vilcē, 1967
- Nauda, 1967
- Rīga dimd, 1968
- Totēms, 1972
- Kopenhāgenas dialogs, 1980
- Teātris,1988
- Par sevi: autobiogrāfija, intervijas, vēstules, 1992
Plays on Screen
One of Zīverts' plays, called "Vara" (which means Power), was made into a two-part TV drama in 1992. A Lithuanian director named Juozas Sabolius created this costume drama. A costume drama is a show where actors wear special historical clothes. This drama was about the life of Mindaugas, who was a king of Lithuania. It was shown on Lithuania's national broadcaster.
