Charles Dullin

'Charles Dullin' (ʃaʁl dylɛ̃; 8 May 1885 – 11 December 1949) was a French actor, theater manager and director. Dullin began his career as an actor in melodrama:185 In 1908, he started his first troupe with Saturnin Fabre, the Théâtre de Foire, where they staged works by Alexandre Arnoux.:185 Dullin was a student of Jacques Copeau,:317 whose company he joined in 1913 for one season, before rejoining from 1917 to 1918.:134 He also trained and worked with Jacques Rouché,:73 André Antoine and Firmin Gémier. In June 1920, Dullin began taking on students and was giving acting lessons at the Théâtre Antoine under the tutelage of Gémier.:111 In July 1921, Dullin founded Théâtre de l'Atelier which he referred to as a "laboratory theater".:346 He conducted auditions for the troupe in Paris, and then brought the small group of actors to Néronville, where they trained for between ten and twelve hours daily. The small group of students, among them Antonin Artaud and Marguerite Jamois, was organised as a commune, with Dullin looking to create 'a different attitude toward theatre' through a 'common sharing of life and work'. In 1922, the group established itself in the Théâtre Montmartre, the 'first purpose built theatre in suburban Paris', which originally opened in 1822.:31 In order to cover the initial cost of leasing and setting up the theatre, Dullin's mother sold some of the family's furniture and silverware at pawn shops.:36; :45 In 1941 he moved to the 'larger, more modern Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt', where he remained resident until 1947 when accumulating debts forced him to close down.:78 Dullin also played many roles on the screen, and used some of the money earned in these roles to support his theater. He was one of the major French actors both on the stage and the screen during the 1930s. Dullin put a particular emphasis on mime, gymnastics, voice production, and various improvisational exercises intended to heighten one's sensory perception.