Alexander Morfov


Alexander Morfov is a Bulgarian theater and cinema director.

Biography

Morfov's father was an officer, and his mother was a teacher in Russian language and literature, music, and also a conductor of a folklore choir in Sliven. After Morfov graduated from the Mathematical high school he attended lectures for two years in the in .
Morfov's theater career began in student's years, when he participated as an assistant stage director in :de:Stojan Aleksiew|Stoyan Alexiev's theater company. After quitting university he began working in the theater in Sliven as a stage worker and later light manager. In 1984 he was enrolled in the in Sofia. He graduated from the Academy with a double major in stage directing for drama and puppet theater in the class of :bg:Юлия Огнянова|Julia Ognyanova and cinema directing in the class of Georgi Dyulgerov.

Early works

His earliest works on a professional stage are in the Rhodope drama theater, where he was the author and director of the satire “Political cabaret”. Immediately after his sophomore production he was invited to work at the where he staged “Pere Ubu” by Alfred Jarry, followed by “The Tempest” and “Hamlet” by Shakespeare in the “La Strada” theater.

Professional career in Bulgaria

From 1994 to 2000 he has been occupying the position Chief director at the “Ivan Vazov” National Theatre of Bulgaria. Morfov’s first shows at the National Theatre were his original version of “Don Quixote” by Miguel de Cervantes and a revised version of “The Tempest”. These two gave start to a whole new process of attracting young and modern-thinking audience to the theater. With his next production – “Midsummernight’s Dream” by W. Shakespeare, Alexander Morfov became one of the most popular theater directors in Bulgaria. His original version of “The Decameron, or Passion and Blood” after Boccaccio, also bears the traits of his stylistics. “The Lower Depths” by Maxim Gorky is Morfov’s way of sharply stating his civil opinion without betraying his typical theatricality. “” after a novel by Ivan Vazov, the national poet and writer, is the logical continuation to the latter. Among others, his productions on the leading stage in the country include: “Night of Miracles” after Beckett, Mrozek and Ionesco; “” by Moliere; “”, “” after Nikolai Erdman’s “The Suicide”, etc.
In 2000 he was appointed managing and artistic director of the “Ivan Vazov” National Theater. He was dismissed from this position following a major conflict with the . All of his productions were taken off the theater’s repertory.

International success

Since 2001 he has been successfully working in Russia. His first show – The Tempest in the was a landmark event in St. Petersburg's theatre life and was honoured with Russia's most prestigious award in the field of theatre, the Golden Mask Award. Immediately after that he was invited to Moscow, to the theatre of the famous Russian actor Alexander Kalyagin, , where he staged and with Kalyagin in the leading role. Both productions were nominated for the Golden Mask Award and Alexander Kalyagin received the award for Best Performance for the role of pere Ubu. Between 2003 and 2006 he was appointed chief stage director in the Komissarzhevskaya Theatre where he staged five productions and received the Award for by Moliere and was again nominated for the Golden Mask Award. His productions with Alexandr Abdulov and with Maria Mironova in Lenkom Theatre also proved to be significant events in Moscow's theatre life. Morfov has received more than twenty national and international theatre awards, among which are the Golden Mask Award, :ru:Чайка |Chaika , :ru:Хрустальная Турандот|Crystal Turandot, etc.
In 2005 he worked in the United States with Mikhail Baryshnikov on the theatre project Doctor and Patient by :ru:Габриадзе, Резо Леванович|Rezo Gabriadze.
In 2006 he returned to the National Theatre of Bulgaria as a chief stage director – a position he has been occupying since. Morfov's shows were presented at international theatre festivals in Vienna, Casablanca, Kiev, Torun, Ohrid, Belgrade, Wrocław, Hamburg, etc. He has numerous successful projects in Europe – France, Sweden, Macedonia, Romania, Latvia, and in the recent years in Israel. He is currently working at the Ion Luca Caragiale National Theatre, Bucharest, Romania, staging The Tempest by William Shakespeare.
Morfov is also a cinema director and scriptwriter. He is as successful as a cinema actor with roles in , :bg:Приятелите на Емилия|Friends of Emily, :bg:Сирна неделя|The Last Sunday', , , :bg:Пътуване към Йерусалим|Travel to Jerusalem'' and others.

Personal life

Morfov is married to actress :imdbname:0904003|Reni Vrangova with whom he has two daughters – and Sara.

TV and cinema

TV FILMS:
CINEMA:
From the :
From Ohrid theatre festival:
“:bg:Аскеер |Askeer” theatre award in Bulgaria:
“” theatre award given by the
“The Golden Muse” Russian award
“:ru:Золотой софит|The Golden Soffit” award in St. Petersburg
“:ru:Чайка |Chaika” Russian award
“” Russian award
National Festival for TV and Cinema, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Bulgarian cinema award: 2002 Best directing debut for the production “”
Bulgarian Cinema Academy: 2009 Best cinema production “:bg:Хъшове |Exiles”, and many others
Nominations: “The Golden Mask” Russian award
Theatre awards in Romania:
ORDER OF “ST. CYRIL AND METHODIUS”
He has received the prestigious Bulgarian award order of “St. Cyril and Methodius”, first rang, “for special merit in the field of culture and arts in Bulgaria”. Alexander Morfov is doctor honoris causa of the .