Misplaced Pages

#161838

30-509: He began his career in the provinces, making his debut in 1770 at the Comédie Française , where he aspired to leading comedy roles. He pleased the public at once and was made sociétaire in 1772. Dugazon was an ardent revolutionist , helped the schism which divided the company, and went with Talma and the others to what became the Théâtre de la République. After the closing of this theatre and

60-452: A brilliancy and force not to be found in French drama between Corneille and Victor Hugo . A complete edition of Rotrou was edited in five volumes by Viollet-le-Duc in 1822. In 1882 Louis de Ronchaud published a handsome edition of six plays— Saint Genest , Venceslas , Don Bertrand de Cabrère , Antigone , Hercule Mourant and Cosroes . Venceslas and Saint Genest are also to be found in

90-443: A permanent troupe of actors, it was decided to switch temporarily to an online program, including readings of the full text of In Search of Lost Time , and an online initiative called Théâtre à la table where actors of the troupe play works in the repertoire after a one week rehearsal. Online attendance for this initiative was unexpectedly high, including people outside of Paris and in other countries. In May 2021 Éric Ruf ,

120-404: Is Corneille's) With few exceptions, the only events recorded of Rotrou's life are the successive appearances of his plays, and his enrolment in 1635 in the band of five poets who had the duty of turning Richelieu 's dramatic ideas into shape. Rotrou's own first piece, L'Hypocondriaque (first published in 1631, probably staged in 1628; critical edition by JC Vuillemin [Droz, 1999]), dedicated to

150-455: Is claimed as the only absolutely original piece of Rotrou. These masterpieces follow foreign models, and Rotrou's genius is shown in the skill with which he simplifies the plot and strengthens the situations. Saint Genest followed Lope de Vega's Lo fingido verdadero ; Venceslas followed the No ay ser padre siendo rey of Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla . In this play Ladislas and his brother both love

180-633: Is one of the few state theatres in France . Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state theatre in France to have its own permanent troupe of actors. The company's primary venue is the Salle Richelieu , which is a part of the Palais-Royal complex and located at 2, Rue de Richelieu on Place André-Malraux in

210-475: The 1st arrondissement of Paris . The theatre has also been known as the Théâtre de la République and popularly as "La Maison de Molière" (The House of Molière). It acquired the latter name from the troupe of the best-known playwright associated with the Comédie-Française, Molière . He was considered the patron of French actors. He died seven years before his troupe became known as the Comédie-Française, but

240-530: The Comte de Soissons , seigneur of Dreux, appeared when he was only eighteen. In the same year he published a collection of Œuvres poetiques , including elegies, epistles and religious verse. His second piece, La Bague de l'oubli (1635), an adaptation in part from the Sortija del Olvido of Félix Lope de Vega , was much more characteristic. It is the first of several plays in which Rotrou endeavoured to naturalize in France

270-727: The Théâtre du Marais and the Troupe de Molière . Two years later they received a royal grant of 12,000 livres per year; and seven years later they received their present designation. Thus the Comédie-Française may be said to have an unbroken tradition reaching back to the days of Molière. The company gave its first performance on 25 August 1680 at the Guénégaud. Its leading actors included Molière's widow, Armande Béjart , her husband, Guérin d'Estriché, La Grange , Mlle Champmeslé , Baron , Hauteroche , and Raymond Poisson . The repertoire consisted of

300-440: The 1800s, then rebuilt in 1900 after a severe fire. The actress Jane Henriot was the only casualty of the fire. The membership of the theatrical troupe is divided into "sociétaires" and "pensionnaires". The former are regular members of the organisation and as such receive a pension after 20 years of service, while the latter are paid actors who may, after a certain length of service, become "sociétaires". The names of nearly all

330-634: The Comédie performed in the theatre in the royal palace of the Tuileries . In 1782, the company moved into the Salle du Faubourg Saint-Germain, designed by architects Marie-Joseph Peyre and Charles De Wailly and located on the site of today's Odéon . Since 1799, the Comédie-Française has been housed in the Salle Richelieu (architect Victor Louis ) at 2, rue de Richelieu . This theatre was enlarged and modified in

SECTION 10

#1732849022162

360-555: The actors to reconstitute the troupe. The Comédie-Française today has a repertoire of 3,000 works and three theatres in Paris (Salle Richelieu, next to the Palais Royal ; théâtre du Vieux-Colombier ; Studio-Théâtre). Since October 2020, and because of the COVID-19 pandemic , the Comédie-Française had to close as it is the case for all other theaters in France. The Comédie-Française having

390-415: The collection of theatrical works by Molière and Jean Racine , along with a few works by Pierre Corneille , Paul Scarron and Jean Rotrou . In the 18th century, the Comédie-Française was often enjoyed by the French nobility, since the price to watch at the theater was expensive. On the performance of Joseph Chénier 's anti-monarchical play Charles IX in 1789, violent political discussions arose among

420-513: The company continued to be known as "La Maison de Molière" even after the official change of name. The Comédie-Française was founded on 8 August 1680 by a decree of Louis XIV merging the only two Parisian acting troupes of the time, the troupe of the Guénégaud Theatre and that of the Hôtel de Bourgogne . On the death of Molière in 1673, the troupe at the Guénégaud had been formed by a merger of

450-490: The device of a play within a play to assert a Christian perspective on the theatrum mundi theme. The Roman actor Genest becomes a real convert while playing the part of a Christian martyr. Incidentally (Act i. Sc. v.) Rotrou pays a noble tribute to the genius of Corneille. Don Bertrand de Cabrère (1647) is a tragi-comedy of merit; Venceslas (1647; pr. 1648) is considered in France his masterpiece, and has had several modern revivals; Cosroès (1649) has an Oriental setting, and

480-606: The dissolution of the Comédie Française, he took refuge at the Théâtre Feydeau until he returned to the restored Comédie in 1799. He retired in 1805, and died insane at Sandillon . Dugazon wrote three comedies of a political character, performed at the Théâtre de la République. He married, in 1776, Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre , but was soon divorced and then married again. Together they had a child, composer Gustave Dugazon . Dugazon's sister, Marie Rose Gourgaud (1743–1804),

510-544: The favour of Richelieu , and L'Heureuse Constance (acted 1631; pr. 1635), which was praised by Anne of Austria , succeeded each other rapidly, and were all in the Spanish manner. In 1631, Rotrou imitated Plautus in Les Ménechmes , and in 1634 Seneca in his Hercule mourant . Comedies and tragi-comedies followed. Documents exist showing the sale of four pieces to Antoine de Sommarille for 750 livres tournois in 1636, and in

540-509: The first French play to feature a cast made up of only women. On 3 September 1793, during the French Revolution , the Théâtre de la Nation was closed by order of the Committee of Public Safety for putting on the allegedly seditious play Pamela , and the actors were imprisoned though gradually released later. On 31 May 1799, the new government made the Salle Richelieu available and allowed

570-422: The great actors and dramatists of France have, at some time in their career, been associated with that of the Comédie-Française. The chief administrator of the Comédie-Française has been given the title administrateur général since Simonis ' term of 1850. Before that, a variety of titles were given. Jean Rotrou Jean Rotrou (21 August 1609 – 28 June 1650) was a French poet and tragedian . Rotrou

600-511: The managing director of the Comédie-Française, declared that 30% of the public of the online program never went to the Comédie-Française, and that they would continue this program even after the reopening. The Comédie-Française has had several homes since its inception in 1680 in the Salle Guénégaud . In 1689, it was established in a theatre across from the Café Procope . From 1770 to 1782,

630-492: The murder. Rotrou shows his dramatic skill by concealing the real facts from the audience until they are revealed to the horror-struck Ladislas himself. In 1650, the plague broke out at Dreux. Rotrou remained at his post, although urgently desired to save himself by going to Paris; caught the disease, and died shortly after. He was buried at Dreux on 28 June 1650. Rotrou's great fertility (he left thirty-five collected plays besides others lost, strayed or uncollected), and perhaps

SECTION 20

#1732849022162

660-435: The next year he sold ten to the same bookseller. He spent much time at Le Mans with his patron, de Belin, who was one of the opponents of Corneille in the quarrel over Le Cid . It has been generally assumed, partly because of a forged letter long accepted as Corneille's, that Rotrou was his generous defender in this matter. He appears to have been no more than neutral, but is credited with an attempt at reconciliation between

690-485: The parties in a pamphlet printed in 1637, L'Inconnu et veritable amy de messieurs de Scudéry et Corneille . De Belin died in 1637, and in 1639 Rotrou bought the post of lieutenant particulier au baüliage at Dreux. In the next year he married Marguerite Camus, and settled down as a model magistrate and père de famille . Among his pieces written before his marriage were a translation of the Amphitryon of Plautus , under

720-609: The performers, and ultimately they split into two sections: the Republican party, under the young tragedian Talma , establishing a new theatre under the name "Théâtre de la République," on the site of the present building in the Rue de Richelieu; while the Royalist section took the title "Théâtre de la Nation". On 16 April 1790 the theatre presented the world premiere of Pierre Laujon 's Le Couvent, ou les Fruits du caractère et de l'éducation ;

750-405: The princess Cassandra; Ladislas makes his way into her house and in the darkness kills a man whom he thinks to be the duke of Courland, but who is really his brother Alexandre, the favoured lover. In the early morning he meets the king and is confronted by the duke of Courland. The outline of this incident is in the Spanish play, but there the spectators are aware of the ghastly mistake at the time of

780-611: The romantic comedy which had flourished in Spain and England instead of the classical tragedy of Seneca and the classical comedy of Terence . Corneille had leanings in the same direction. Rotrou's brilliant but hasty and unequal work showed the marks of a stronger adhesion to the Spanish model. In 1634, when he printed Cleagénor et Doristée (acted 1630), he said he was already the author of thirty plays; but this probably includes adaptations. Diane (acted 1630; pr. 1633), Les Occasions perdues (acted 1631; printed 1635), which won for him

810-428: The title of Les Deux Sosies (1636), Antigone (1638), and Laure Persécutée (acted 1637; pr. 1639), in the opposite style to these classical pieces. In 1646, Rotrou produced the first of his four masterpieces, Le Veritable Saint Genest (acted 1646; pr. 1648), a story of Christian martyrdom containing some amusing byplay, one noble speech and a good deal of dignified action. Rotrou uses with considerable success

840-409: The uncertainty of dramatic plan shown by his hesitation almost to the last between the "classical" and the romantic style have injured his work. He has no thoroughly good play, hardly one thoroughly good act. But his situations are often pathetic and noble, and as a tragic poet properly so called he is at his best almost the equal of Corneille and of Jean Racine . His single lines and single phrases have

870-556: Was an actress who first played at Stuttgart , where she married Angelo Vestris , brother of Gaétano Vestris , the dancer. Under the protection of the dukes of Choiseul and Duras, she was commanded to make her debut at the Comédie Française in 1768, where she created important parts in a number of tragedies. This entry was originally from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica . Com%C3%A9die Fran%C3%A7aise The Comédie-Française ( French: [kɔmedi fʁɑ̃sɛːz] ) or Théâtre-Français ( French: [teɑtʁ(ə) fʁɑ̃sɛ] )

900-513: Was born at Dreux , city of the current department of Eure-et-Loir , in Centre-Val de Loire region. He studied at Dreux and at Paris, and, though three years younger than Pierre Corneille , began writing before him. In 1632, he became playwright to the actors of the Hôtel de Bourgogne. (This hall is the setting for the first act of Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac , and Rotrou's name is mentioned - as

#161838