Semen Solomonovich Samodur

Born Jan. 4 (17), 1911, in the city of Bui, in what is now Kostroma Oblast. Soviet puppet-theater actor and director. People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1966).

In 1930, Samodur began studying at the studio of P. Ia. Pavli-nov. From 1931 to 1933 he studied at a representational arts technicum of the State Publishing House of Representational Arts. In 1933 he became an actor at the Central Puppet Theater, and in 1947 the theater’s director.

Samodur has worked with S. V. Obraztsov in staging Marshak’s Cat’s House, Tuzlukov’s Mine, Only Mine, and Speranskii’s The Unusual Concert. He has independently staged Mat-veev’s The Magic Galosh, as well as The Tale of Tsar Saltan, based on Pushkin’s work. Samodur’s roles have included the Master of Ceremonies in The Unusual Concert, the Creator in Shtok’s Divine Comedy, and the Village Master and the Devil in Speranskii’s Christmas Eve (based on Gogol’s work).