Nationality Romanian Years active 1907-1968 | Name George Ciprian | |
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Full Name Gheorghe Pana Constantin Born June 7, 1883 ( 1883-06-07 ) Buzau, Romania Other names Gheorghe Constantinescu Ciprian Education Gheorghe Lazar National College | ||
George Ciprian (born Gheorghe Pana Constantin; June 7, 1883 - 8 May 1968) was a Romanian actor and playwright. His writings make him a precursor of the Theatre of the Absurd.
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Biography
Born in Buzau to a Greek baker's family, he attended primary school in Glodeanu-Silistea, a commune near Buzau, after which moved to Bucharest with his mother. There, he attended Gheorghe Lazar High School, together with Vasile Voiculescu, a future poet who had been born near Buzau, and Urmuz, an absurdist writer.
After graduation, Ciprian went on to study acting at the Bucharest Conservatory, where he was coached by Constantin Nottara.
His stage debut took place in 1907 at the Craiova National Theatre, as Soltuz in Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu's Razvan si Vidra. He would star in a multitude of theater performances in theatres throughout Romania, as well as acting in several movies.
Ciprian died in Bucharest. The only theatre in his native city, Buzau, bears his name — was inaugurated in 1996 with a representation of Omul cu martoaga.
Author
His first play, Omul cu martoaga (The Man and His Old Crock) had its premiere in 1927, and became very successful. His best known play is Capul de ratoi (The Drake's Head), written in 1938, and acknowledged as an early example of absurdist theatre, which draws on his adolescence and friendship with Urmuz.
Late in his life, he authored an autobiography, Mascarici si Mazgalici (translatable as "Jester and Scribbler"), which notably contains versions of several texts by Urmuz (as memorized by Ciprian), as well as details on the latter's final years.