Many educated viewers know the catch phrase that the theater begins with a hanger. We can add to this expression that the place for this hanger is determined by the chief director. For more than thirty years, Mikhail Levitin has been working in the Hermitage Theater as the main director.
Starting conditions
Not everyone is so lucky in life as Mikhail Zakharovich Levitin. The famous director was born on December 27, 1945 in an intelligent family. Parents at that time lived in Odessa. My father worked as an engineer, and my mother taught a course of Marxism-Leninism at the Polytechnic Institute. The child grew up in a favorable environment. He was prepared from an early age for independent living. Misha learned to read and count early. His mother often took him to work, as there were not enough places in the kindergarten for everyone.
At school, Levitin studied well. His favorite subjects were history and literature. He actively participated in public life and in amateur art contests. I carefully watched how peers live, what they dream about and what goals they set for themselves in the future. In high school I became interested in classes in a drama studio. He played various roles on the school stage. It was during this period that he was fascinated by directorial work. Mikhail even staged a play on his own and showed it at a city competition.
Professional activity
Having received a certificate of maturity, Levitin went to receive a specialized education in Moscow. Successfully entered the directing department of the legendary VGIK. In 1969, already a certified specialist, he came to work in the Taganka Theater. Spectators and critics greeted the performance amiably. Then, over the course of several years, Mikhail, as they say, traveled to various stage venues where he was trusted to demonstrate his professionalism. Only in 1978 he was invited "permanently" to the Theater of Miniatures.
In the biography of Levitin, it is noted that he began to prepare performances based on the works of the authors, which were considered "not theatrical." Among them were named Isaac Babel, Gabriel Marquez, Mikhail Zhvanetsky. "New metal" literally broke the prevailing stereotypes and patterns. In 1987, Levitin took the chair of the chief director and trained to rename the theater. From that moment on, it became known as the Hermitage. In parallel with directing, Mikhail is engaged in literary work.
