George Ciprian (; born Gheorghe PanàConstantin ; June 7, 1883 â 8 May 1968) was a Romanian actor and playwright. His writings make him a precursor of the Theatre of the Absurd.
Born in BuzÃÂu to a Greek baker's family, he attended primary school in Glodeanu-SiliÃÂtea, a commune near BuzÃÂu, after which he moved to Bucharest with his mother. There, he attended Gheorghe LazÃÂr High School, together with Vasile Voiculescu, a future poet born near BuzÃÂu, and Urmuz, an absurdist writer.
After graduation, Ciprian went on to study acting at the Bucharest Conservatory, where he was coached by Constantin Nottara.
His stage debut took place in 1907 at the Craiova National Theatre, as ÃÂoltuz in Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu's RÃÂzvan ÃÂi Vidra. He would star in many theater performances in theatres throughout Romania, and he would act in several movies.
Ciprian died in Bucharest. The only theatre in his native city, BuzÃÂu, bears his name. The theatre was inaugurated in 1996 with a performance of Omul cu mârÃÂoaga.
His first play, Omul cu mârÃÂoaga (The Man and His Old Crock) had its premiere in 1927, and became very successful. His best known play is Capul de rÃÂÃÂoi (The Drake's Head), written in 1938, and acknowledged as an early example of absurdist theatre. This play draws on his adolescence and friendship with Urmuz.
Late in his life, he authored an autobiography, MÃÂscÃÂrici ÃÂi MâzgÃÂlici (translatable as "Jester and Scribbler"), which notably contains versions of several texts by Urmuz (as memorized by Ciprian), as well as details on the latter's final years.