Roger Blin

Roger Blin NeuillysurSeine France 22 March 1907 Évecquemont France 21 January 1984 was a French actor and director He staged world premieres of Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot in 1953 and Endgame in 1957 Blin was the son of a doctor however despite his fathers wishes Blin forged a career in the theatre As a teenager he was fascinated by the Surrealists and their conception of revolutionary art He was initially part of the leftwing theatre collectives The Company of Five and The October Group In 1935 Blin served as Antonin Artauds assistant director for his production of Les Cenci The Cenci at the FoliesWagrams theatre in 1935 Following his work with Artaud Blin focused on political streettheatre During the war Blin was a liaison between the Resistance and the French Army His extensive career as both director and actor in both film and theatre has been largely defined by his work and relationship with Artaud Samuel Beckett and Jean Genet In addition to being a close friend and confidant of Artaud during the latters nine years of internment he directed the first performances of Becketts Waiting For Godot Happy Days and Endgame as well as directing the initial performance of Genets The Blacks and the controversial The Screens Genets key correspondences to Blin have been published by Editions Gallimard The 1986 Faber and Faber publication Samuel Beckett The Complete Dramatic Works carries only three dedications from Beckett Endgame is dedicated to Blin while Come and Go is for John Calder and Catastrophe is for Václav Havel Source Article Roger Blin from Wikipedia in English licensed under CCBYSA 30