Sacha Pitoeff, an actor and director best known for his stage productions of Chekhov and Pirandello, has died of a heart ailment, associates said today. He was 70. Pitoeff, who died in a Paris hospital Saturday, was the last survivor of a theatrical dynasty founded by his Russian-born parents, Georges and Ludmilla Pitoeff. Born in Geneva on March 11, 1920, Pitoeff joined his father's company in 1938. His father died in 1939, and his mother took over the company and kept it functioning in Switzerland during World War II. Pitoeff formed his own company in France in 1949, and become renowned for productions of Chekhov classics such as ``The Sea Gull,'' ``The Cherry Orchard'' and ``Uncle Vanya.'' He also produced on several occasions, most recently in 1977, one the plays favored by his parents, Luigi Pirandello's ``Six Characters in Search of an Author.'' He acted in several films, including ``Last Year At Marienbad.'' Funeral arrangements were pending.
