Matei Millo (; November 24/25, 1814 – September 9, 1896) was a

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...

n, later

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

n stage actor and playwright. Born in Stolniceni-Prăjescu,

Iași County Iași County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Western Moldavia, with the administrative seat at Iași. It is the most populous county in Romania, after the Municipality of Bucharest (which has the same administrative level as that of a coun ...

, his grandfather was the poet Matei Milu; his parents were Vasile Millo and Zamfira (''née'' Prăjescu). He was first educated by private tutors at home, then at a private boarding school in

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...

from 1833 to 1834, followed by

Academia Mihăileană Academia Mihăileană was an institution of higher learning based in Iași, Moldavia, and active in the first part of the 19th century. Like other Eastern European institutions of its kind, it was both a high school and a higher learning institute ...

from 1835 to 1836. While living in Paris from 1840 to 1845, he studied theatre, took private lessons, followed the great actors of the day ( Frédérick Lemaître, François Jules Edmond Got, Hugues Bouffé, Pierre-Alfred Ravel) and probably played minor roles with French troupes. In 1846, after returning home, he began organizing the theatre in the

Danubian Principalities The Danubian Principalities ( ro, Principatele Dunărene, sr, Дунавске кнежевине, translit=Dunavske kneževine) was a conventional name given to the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, which emerged in the early 14th ce ...

, first at Iași until 1852, and then at

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

. From 1864 to 1866, he taught at the Bucharest Conservatory, while in 1877 he established an associated artists' troupe. Beginning in 1851, he staged numerous performances for the Romanians living under Imperial Austrian rule in

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

and

Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...

. He was much loved by the public for his repertoire, in which the comedies of

Vasile Alecsandri Vasile Alecsandri (; 21 July 182122 August 1890) was a Romanian patriot, poet, dramatist, politician and diplomat. He was one of the key figures during the 1848 revolutions in Moldavia and Wallachia. He fought for the unification of the Romani ...

featured most prominently, and for his playing style, comically realist, with touches of gravity. He wrote a number of translations, local adaptations and original plays, helping fill gaps in the scanty Romanian theatrical repertoire of the time. His published volumes include ''Un poet romantic'' (1850), ''Baba Hârca'' (1851), ''Masca pe obraz sau Hai să râdem'' (1862) and ''Apele de la Văcărești'' (1872). He died in Bucharest.Aurel Sasu (ed.), ''Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române'', vol. II, p. 112-13. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004. Carol Popp de Szathmáry - Matei Millo în costum de teatru, piesa Barbu Lăutarul.jpg, Millo in theatrical costume as a '' lăutar'' Carol Popp de Szathmáry - Matei Millo în costumaţie de teatru, costum feminin din piesa Fiica poporului.jpg, Millo in theatrical costume as a woman Matei Millo - Baba Hârca - Operetă-vrăjitorie în două acte și trei tablouri.pdf, Original edition of ''Baba Hârca'' (1851) Posta Romana - stamp - Matei Millo - 2999.jpg, 1971 postage stamp commemorating 75 years since Millo's death

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Millo, Matei 1814 births 1896 deaths People from Iași County Romanian male stage actors 19th-century Romanian male actors 19th-century Romanian dramatists and playwrights