Roger Blin
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Roger Blin (March 22 1907 - January 21 1984) was a French comedian and actor, notable for directing (and starring in) the first production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.
Blin was the son of doctor however depsite his father's wishes Blin forged a career in the theatre. Initially part of the left-wing theatre collectives The Company of Five and The October Group. In 1935, he assisted in Antonin Artaud in producing the latter's The Cenci and the Folies-Wagrams theatre. During the war Blin was a liaison between the Resistance and the French Army.
His extensive career as both director and actor in both films and theatre has been largele defined by his work and relationship with Artaud, Samuel Beckett and Jean Genet. As well as being a close friend and confident of Artaud during the latters nine years of internement, he directed the first performances of Beckett's Waiting For Godot, Happy Days and Endgame as well as directing the initial performance of Genet's The Blacks and the controversial The Screens. Genet's key correspondences to Blin have been published by Editions Gallimard.
fr:Roger Blin
