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| ♀Important People♂ Playwrights Actors Historical Figures Technicians Directors Pierre Corneille (1606-1684): Corneille wrote plays in his spare time and even his early comedies were successful with acting troupes. Cardinal Richelieu was impressed with his writing and invited Corneille to join the Society of Five Authors and write plays for the Cardinal's entertainment. Corneille did not work well under the instruction of others and so his relationship with the Cardinal did not last. He also wrote serious dramas about heroes who uphold honor, like The Cid, which was very popular with audiences in France. Critics, however, announced their disapproval with the fact that The Cid didn't follow all the neoclassical rules, and in 1638 the French Academy published its opinion, agreeing with the critics. Corneille was so upset with the Academy's disapproval that he refused to write for several years. When he began writing again in 1640 all his plays adhered to neoclassical rules. He was elected to the French Academy in 1647 and continued to write until his death. Jean Racine (1639-1699): Racine was known for his talent in creating suspense, compressing the action of the story into a short period of time and placing a lot of pressure on the hero who eventually has a tragic downfall. Racine made enemies throughout his life by doing things like transferring his plays out of one troupe to another, and even convincing an actress to leave Molière's troupe. He did have the approval of the court, and critics applauded him for adhering to the neoclassical rules, but this wasn't enough to make his plays a success. In 1677 his enemies plotted to have another play open the same night as Racine's Phaedra which brought about its failure. Racine gave up his life in the theatre and began working for King Louis. Racine's plays are now very popular in France and Phaedra is still performed today. Molière (1622-1673): Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, Molière changed his name so as not to dishonor his family. He began as an actor and formed the Théâtre Illustre with actors from the Béjart family. His troupe went bankrupt and he was imprisoned for debt. After his release from debtors prison his troupe toured outside of Paris. During their tours of the provinces Molière began writing his own plays following the neoclassical guidelines. He wrote his dialogue in rhyming couplets and although he wrote tragedies and comedies, he is best known for his comedies. Influenced by commedia dell'arte, many of his characters resemble stock characters. Louis XIV allowed Molière's troupe to share a theatre with another troupe, but they had difficulty sharing the funds. The king made Molière's troupe the King's Men in 1665 and they finally had financial stability. Molière wrote many of the troupe's plays in addition to managing and acting. His plays were usually popular with audiences but some were banned from being performed. The religious controversy surrounding Tartuffe in 1667 resulted in its opposition by some audiences and religious figures of the time. Louis XIV approved of the play but because he was out of the country when it opened he could not express his support for Molière. The play finally got an official opening in 1669 and was a huge success. Molière continued to write until he collapsed onstage and died shortly after. Because actors weren't allowed to have a proper Christian burial, his friends gave him a secret funeral at night. Michel Baron (1653-1729): Michel Baron was an orphan working with a children's company when Molière noticed him and took him in as a student in training for his company. Molière's wife did not agree with Baron's training and her disapproval may have caused his running away from their home. Molière was eventually able to convince Baron to come back and work with him at the Palais-Royal. When Molière died Baron joined the company at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, but when the Comédie Française was formed in 1680 he made another move. Baron was one of the founding shareholders of the national theatre and continued to develop his acting techniques. He was known for his more natural style of acting, preparing his roles carefully and practicing his spoken verse. Baron also wrote ten comedies during his lifetime which the Comédie Francaise performed. Armande Béjart (1642-1700): Armande married Molière when she was very young. Documents tell us that she is the daughter of Joseph Béjart and Marie Hervé and sister of Madeleine, but some believe that she was actually Madeleine's illegitimate daughter. There are many speculations about Molière's relationship with Madeleine and Armande's "real" father, but they are just that- speculations. We do know that Armande was training as an actress under Molière, and was a talented singer and dancer. After Molière's death Armande led his company in cooperation with LaGrange (an actor) and she became one of the original members of the Comédie Française, acting until her retirement in 1694. | |
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