Roza Popova

Roza Popova
Роза Попова
Popova in 1939
Born	Ruska Mihaylova Manuilova Руска Михайлова Мануилова 1879 (1879) Sofia, Bulgaria
Died	11 April 1949(1949-04-11) (aged 69–70) Mezdra, Bulgaria
Nationality	Bulgarian
Spouse	Stoyan Popov

Ruska Mihaylova Manuilova (Bulgarian: Руска Михайлова Мануилова, 1879 – 11 April 1949) or better known as her stage name Roza Popova (Bulgarian: Роза Попова), was a Bulgarian actress and theater director and the wife of the Bulgarian writer Chicho Stoyan.

Biography

Early life and debut

Roza Popova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1879. She married in secret a little past her 16th birthday.

She studied theatrical arts under the direction of Konstantin Sapunov. During her high school education, she found her passion of acting and joined the traveling theatrical troupe "Zora". In 1897, Roza Popova makes her debut with her role of Sophia in "Iskreno Priyatelstvo" by Sardu in Veliko Tarnovo, the old capital of Bulgaria.

However, official records state that her first major role and debut was in the play by Victor Hugo – Lucrezia Borgia (play) in the role of Lucrezia, with the collaboration of the most successful Bulgarian troupe – "Salza i Smyah".[1] She then proceeded to play in the troupe alongside her husband, leading the troupe herself between 1900 and 1902. Afterward, she joined the Croatian troupe of M. Stoikovich.[2]

Middle years

In 1900 she was stalked by her admirer Todor Bogdanov, who was her teacher from Vratsa. On January 20, 1903, he shot her and himself, and died. She regained her strength despite the bad wound. She was also released from the service of the theater in the same year.

In the period between 1904 and 1906, she joined the troupe in Plovdiv.

The next town she went to was Vienna, where she studied literature and medicine in the Vienna University. During 1910 she was appointed as the first director in the Ruse theater.

In 1918 she founded her own theater "Roza Popova".[3][4]

Theatre roles

Major theatre roles in which Roza Popova acted:

• Antigone – Antigone by Sophocles
• Medea – Medea: A Tragedy in Three Acts by Ernest Legouvé
• Vela and Malama – Vampire by Anton Strashimirov
• Margarita Gauthier – The Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas fils
• Sappho – Sappho by Franz Grillparzer
• Sonya and Elena Andreevna – Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov

In 1926, Teodor Trayanov devoted a poem "Skitnishki napev" to her.[5]

References

1. Ent︠s︡iklopedii︠a︡ na bŭlgarskii︠a︡ teatŭr : aktʹori, rezhisʹori, dramaturzi, st︠s︡enografi, kompozitori, pedagozi, khoreografi, kritit︠s︡i, teatri, institut︠s︡ii, pechat. Kristina Tosheva, Кристина. Тошева (2. prer. i dop. izd ed.). [Sofii︠a︡]: Trud. 2008. ISBN 978-954-528-771-8. OCLC 317711691.
2. "Актрисата Роза Попова простреляна от ревност". archive.is. September 7, 2015. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
3. Goli︠a︡ma ent︠s︡iklopedii︠a︡ Bŭlgarii︠a︡. Vasil Gi︠u︡zelev, Elka Bakalova, Anton Donchev, Vasil Golemanski, Evgeni Golovinski, Neno Dimov. Sofii︠a︡. 2011–2012. ISBN 978-954-8104-23-4. OCLC 770694827.
4. Научноинформационен център "Българска енциклопедия". Голяма енциклопедия "България". Том 9. Sofia: Книгоиздателска къща „Труд". 2012. pp. с. 3524–3525. ISBN 9789548104319.
5. "Теодор Траянов — Скитнишки напев". Моята библиотека (in Bulgarian). Retrieved June 4, 2021.