Vitaly Garkouchenko - George Vitaly

The son of emigrants who fled the Russian Revolution, he had an early vocation: from the age of 9, he moved his parents' furniture to "put on shows". He trained as an actor at the Cours Paupélix from 1934. In 1947, he won the young companies competition at the Théâtre de Poche with "Le Mal court" by Jacques Audiberti, which had been rejected by all the directors in Paris, with Suzanne Flon and Jacques Dufilho. This allowed him to stage "Les Epiphanies" by Henri Pichette, at the Théâtre des Noctambules, with Gérard Philipe, Roger Blin and Maria Casarès. Encouraged by his critical success, Georges Vitaly wanted to work in complete freedom. He found a place on rue de la Huchette and set up a small room with barely a hundred seats. Audiberti’s "La Fête noire" and "Pucelle", Kataïev’s "La Quadrature du cercle", Schéhadé’s "Monsieur Bob’le", Bréal’s "Edmée", Hanoteau’s "La Belle Rombière", made this tiny Théâtre de la Huchette one of the high places of dramatic art. In 1952, Georges Vitaly left the Huchette, first for the Œuvre and the Grand-Guignol – where he staged Ghelderode’s "La Farce des ténébreux". Director of the Théâtre La Bruyère in Paris until September 1982, he resumed the rhythm of his creations there, focusing on his favorite author, Jacques Audiberti – notably with "Les Naturels du Bordelais", "L’Effet Glapion", "Cavalier seul", "Quoat-Quoat" -, or new discoveries such as "Un cas intéressant", by Dino Buzatti, in an adaptation of Albert Camus, "Le Mariage de M. Mississipi", by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, or "Le Divan", by Remo Forlani. While continuing to direct the La Bruyère, Georges Vitaly took over the management of the Maison de la culture in Nantes, from 1970 to 1975. In April-May 1981, he staged "Le Merveilleux Complet couleur de glace à la noix de coco", by Ray Bradbury, at Châteauvallon. He also created the "Spectacles d'aujourd'hui", which presented plays by Arrabal, Boris Vian, Pierre Bourgeade. His last production was in 1995, with "La Société des alloqués", by Guy Foissy, at the Lucernaire.

Decorated with the Order of Merit.

He is buried with his wife, the dramatic artist Monique Delaroche (1921-2006).