Merle Karusoo (born 1 July 1944 in

Rae Parish Rae Parish () is a rural municipality in northern Estonia. It is a part of Harju County. The municipality has a population of 23,145 (as of 31 December 2022) and covers an area of 206.7 km². The population density is . Settlements Administ ...

) is an

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

n stage director and writer. She is also known as a collector of Estonian biographies. In 1972, she graduated from

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.

in Estonian philology. In 1999, she defended her master's thesis in sociology at

Tallinn Pedagogical University Tallinn University (TLU; , ''TLÜ'') is a public research university in Estonia. Located in the centre of Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn University is one of the three largest institutions of higher education in the country. Both Q ...

. She has worked as a director at the

Estonian Drama Theatre The Estonian Drama Theatre () is a theatre in Tallinn, Estonia. It has the role of a national theatre for Estonia. The Estonia Theatre is located next door. History The building that houses the Estonian Drama Theatre was originally built for the ...

and the

Estonian State Youth Theater Estonian Theatre for Young Audiences, formerly ''Estonian State Puppet Theatre, Estonian Puppet and Youth Theatre and NUKU'') is an Estonian theatre located in Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most ...

. Karusoo has worked as a course instructor and lecturer at the

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (''Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia'') began as a mixed choir of the Estonia Society Musical Department (EMD) on the eve of World War I. The assembly of the Estonia Society created the Tallinn Higher Musi ...

and the

University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy () is an Estonian institution of higher education, situated in the provincial town of Viljandi, central Estonia. The UT Viljandi Culture Academy merged with the University of Tartu in 2005. The UT VC ...

. Since 2014, she has been a Professor of Liberal Arts, teaching at the University of Tartu.

Awards

* 1980 * 1981 Juhan Smuul literary award * 1990 Merited Artist of the ESSR * 2001

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star (; ) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state. Design Classes The Order of the White Star ...

, IV class

Selected works

* 1981: play "Ma olen 13-aastane" (' I Am 13') * 1982: play "Meie elulood" ('Our Life Stories') * 1997: play "Kured läinud, kurjad ilmad" ('The Cranes Are Gone, the Weather's Bad')

References

1944 births Living people Estonian theatre directors Estonian dramatists and playwrights Estonian women theatre directors Estonian women dramatists and playwrights Estonian non-fiction writers 20th-century Estonian women writers 21st-century Estonian women writers University of Tartu alumni Tallinn University alumni 20th-century Estonian educators Academic staff of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Academic staff of the University of Tartu Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 5th Class People from Rae Parish {{Estonia-writer-stub