Theodore Komisarjevsky was a leading 20th century theatrical director and designer, particularly known for his productions of plays by Anton Chekhov and William Shakespeare in England in the 1930s.

Born into a theatrical Russian family, he was raised in Italy and Russia. In 1919 he left Soviet Russia and shortly afterwards settled in England.

In the 1930s, his productions of and for the Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare Memorial Company were widely acclaimed as the most innovative of his time. He also published a study of theatrical costumes, translated and wrote plays, and gave lectures at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Komisarjevsky moved to the United States in 1939 together with a young American dancer Ernestine Stodelle, who became his wife. In the United States, he staged a number of productions at the New York City Opera, gave lectures on theatre, and opened Komisarjevsky Theatre Studio in New Haven, where he taught summer courses and staged versions of Russian classics with his students. He died in Darien, Connecticut in 1954.

Phillada Sewell (1910-1998) was an English stage, television and screen actress. She became Komisarjevsky's student and friend in 1930. She was later instrumental in raising funds for Komisarjevsky to go to America to found a school for acting. Over the years, Sewell became Komisarjevsky's most trusted friend and confidant.