Ivan Mitev

From an early age, while still at school, Ivan Mitev showed an interest in the performing arts and took part in the theatre workshop led by Konstantin Dimchev.

In 1976, he was admitted to the Higher Institute of Theatre Arts “Krastyo Sarafov” (VITIZ), specialising in Acting, in the class of Professor Sasho Stoyanov and Associate Professor Tsvetana Stoyanova. He participated in all of the class’s graduation productions, including In the Blazing Darkness, The Fox and the Grapes, Duel, Osiris and Isis, Peruvian Legends, Oh, Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feeling So Sad and Monument.

He graduated in 1980 and began his professional career at the Drama Theatre in Targovishte. He made his stage debut as Margaridi in The Misunderstood Civilization by Dobri Voynikov. His subsequent roles included Lucentio in William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew; Veselin in Blue-and-White Frost by Konstantin Georgiev; Marin the Forester and the Zootechnician in Triptych by Nikolay Haytov; Mishka Zemtsov in Cruel Games by Alexei Arbuzov; the Lieutenant in The Forty-First, based on the work by Boris Lavrenyov; Ferdinand in Friedrich Schiller’s Intrigue and Love; and Ralski in Saturday the 23rd by Stefan Tsanev.

In 1984, he was invited to join the Musical Dramatic Theatre “Konstantin Kisimov” in Veliko Tarnovo, whose stage remained central to his artistic career for most of his professional life. Over the decades, he created more than 120 theatrical characters.

Roles at the Musical Dramatic Theatre “Konstantin Kisimov”

• The Weather Vane in The Iron Boy by Yordan Radichkov
• Stasis in The Fourth Language by Angel Wagenstein
• The Man in Life Is Two Women by Stefan Tsanev
• Mark in John and the Caesar by R. Radkov
• Sergeant Porterhouse in Between Two Chairs by Ray Cooney
• Ivan in A Kingdom of Women by St. L. Kostov
• Gilbert Bodley in Not Now, Darling by Ray Cooney
• The Romanian in We, the Bulgarians by Hristo Boychev and Ivan Kulekov
• Konstantin Preslavski in Tsar Simeon the Great by St. Staychev
• Solicitor Spettigue in Charley’s Aunt
• Boil in The Lighthouse by S. Komitski
• Oborski in The Lie by Ivan Mitev
• Dragalevski in Duel by Ivan Vazov
• Bukov in The New Harbour by St. L. Kostov
• John Vallone in One Jackson Too Many by Arthur Newfield
• Giuseppe in Opera Mafiosa by V. Stanilov
• Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha
• Siam in Perpetuum Mobile by L. Bosilkov
• Prokhor Zheleznov in Vassa Zheleznova by Maxim Gorky
• Baltov in Office Seekers by Ivan Vazov
• Pavel Kerekov in The Mother-in-Law by Anton Strashimirov
• Pietro, the Father, the Knife Grinder and Lizio in The Decameron, based on the work by Giovanni Boccaccio
• Avram Nemtur in The Iron Candlestick, based on the novel by Dimitar Talev
• The Magician Rajapur in A Hotel Between This World and the Next by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
• Maslarski in The Millionaire by Yordan Yovkov
• The Gentlemen in A Church for Wolves by Petar Anastasov
• Theodore-Peter in The Glory of the Asen Dynasty by Ivan Mitev
• Mrs. Frekenbok in Little Brother and Karlsson
• Jack in Lipstick
• Orgon in Molière’s Tartuffe
• Strandzhata in The Émigrés, based on the work by Ivan Vazov
• Zahari Stoyanov in The Poet’s Spirit by Stefan Tsanev
• Father Krastyo in Repentance, based on the work by Konstantin Iliev
• Father Stayko in The Fortune-Teller by St. L. Kostov
• Sebastokrator Alexander in John, the Son of Asen by Ivan Mitev
• The Father in Caught.net by Ray Cooney
• Margelak in The Geraks, based on the work by Elin Pelin
• The Priest in We’re Not Like Them, based on the stories by Chudomir
• Don Celentano in The Servant of Two Masters, based on the work by Carlo Goldoni

In 1998, following the closure of the Drama Department at the Veliko Tarnovo Theatre, Ivan Mitev founded the independent theatre company Theatre Company. This initiative enabled him to retain part of the acting ensemble until the Drama Department was reinstated. The company operated until 2003, staging more than 280 performances across Bulgaria over five seasons.

Alongside his acting career, Ivan Mitev has pursued an active creative path as a writer, playwright, director and researcher of theatre history. He has authored numerous stage adaptations and theatrical reconstructions, as well as four plays.

His published books include The Theatre Called “Nadezhda”, Chronicles of a Theatrical Century, The Theatre Called Kisimov, Theatrical Moments from Eternity and Random Scribblings.

A significant part of his work has been devoted to preserving the history of the Musical Dramatic Theatre “Konstantin Kisimov”. He has restored and digitised the theatre’s extensive archive, which contains more than 50,000 photographs, portraits and facsimiles, hundreds of playbills, posters and programmes, as well as many hours of interviews with veteran theatre artists.

Ivan Mitev is also a guitarist and singer, a creator and performer of humorous sketches and monologues, and a director of variety shows. He has received national and international awards for spoken-word performance in the professional acting category.

His artistic career also includes appearances in approximately 15 film and television productions. Among his screen roles are Bishop Paisiy in Deacon Ignatius and Colonel Marin in A Hand’s Breadth from the Ground, both directed by Maksim Genchev.

In 2017, he received the “Culture” Award of Veliko Tarnovo in recognition of his contribution to the city’s cultural and theatrical life.