All Topics  
Comédie-Française

 
Comédie Française

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Comédie-Française
 
 
  Topics Comédie-Française Topic Home

The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
 theaters in France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Comédie-Française'
Start a new discussion about 'Comédie-Française'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Paris Comedie Francaise Exterior
Paris Comedie Francaise
The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
 theaters in France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
. It is the only state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
 theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the Ier arrondissement
Ier arrondissement

rrondissementnumber=1st|commune=Paris|image=|caption=The Louvre and Tuileries Palace, seen from the north|map=paris_1er_arr_jms.gif|mapcaption=Paris and its closest suburbs|...
 of Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
.

The theatre has also been known as the Théâtre-Nautique and as the théâtre de la République. The best-known playwright associated with the Comédie-Française is Molière
Molière

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known by his stage name Moli?re, was a French playwright and actor who is considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature....
. He was considered the patron of French actors; however, he died seven years before the birth of "la maison de Molière", as the Comédie-Française is often styled.

History

The Comédie-Française was founded by a decree of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France

Louis XIV ruled as List of French monarchs and of King of Navarre. He ascended the throne a few months before his fifth birthday, but did not assume actual personal control of the government until the death of his prime minister , the Italians Jules Cardinal Mazarin, in 1661....
 on 24 August 1680 to merge the only two Parisian acting troupes of the time, the troupe of the hôtel Guénégaud and that of the hôtel de Bourgogne
Hôtel de Bourgogne

Until the 16th century, the H?tel de Bourgogne was the name of the Paris residence of the Dukes of Burgundy.In 1548, the society of the Confr?res de la Passion et de la R?surrection de Notre Seigneur J?sus-Christ built a theatre here, on rue Mauconseil to put on their mystery plays....
. The repertoire at that time consisted of the collection of theatrical works by Molière and Jean Racine
Jean Racine

Jean Racine was a France dramatist, one of the "big three" of 17th century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition....
, along with a few works by Pierre Corneille
Pierre Corneille

File:Pierre Corneille 3.jpgPierre Corneille was a French tragedy who was one of the three great seventeenth Century French dramatists, along with Moli?re and Jean Racine....
, Paul Scarron
Paul Scarron

Paul Scarron , France poet, dramatist, novelist and first husband of Fran?oise d'Aubign?, marquise de Maintenon, was baptized on July 4 1610....
 and Jean Rotrou
Jean Rotrou

Jean Rotrou was a France poet and tragedy.Rotrou was born at Dreux in Normandy. He studied at Dreux and at Paris, and, though three years younger than Pierre Corneille, began writing before him....
. Its first building was housed at the Hôtel de Guénégaud
Hôtel de Guénégaud

During the ancien regime there were two H?tel de Gu?n?gauds in Paris....
.

On 3 September 1793, during the French Revolution
French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudalism for the aristocracy and Roman Catholic Church clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Age of Enlightenment principles of cit...
, the Comédie-Française was closed by order of the Committee of Public Safety
Committee of Public Safety

File:Comite de Salut Public.jpgThe Committee of Public Safety , set up by the National Convention in July of 1793, formed the de facto executive government of France during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution....
 for putting on the allegedly seditious play Pamela, and the actors were imprisoned. On 31 May 1799, the new government made the salle Richelieu available and allowed the actors to reconstitute the troupe.

The Comédie-Française today has a repertoire of 3,000 works and three theaters
Theater (structure)

A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or Play are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be given....
 in Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
 (salle Richelieu, next to the Palais Royal
Palais Royal

The Palais-Royal, originally called the Palais-Cardinal, is a palace and garden located near the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Opposite the north wing of the Louvre, its famous forecourt screened with columns faces the place du Palais-Royal, which was much enlarged by Baron Haussmann after the rue de Rivoli was built for Napoleon...
; théâtre du Vieux-Colombier
Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier

The Th??tre du Vieux-Colombier is a theatre located at 21, rue du Vieux-Colombier, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris in Paris. It was founded in 1913 by the theatre producer and playwright Jacques Copeau....
; Studio-Théâtre).

Additionally, the Comédie-Française is the current resting place of the brain of Francois-Marie Arouet, more commonly known as Voltaire
Voltaire

Fran?ois-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Age of Enlightenment writer, essayist, and philosophy known for his wit, philosophical sport, and defense of civil liberty, including freedom of religion and free trade....
.

Theater buildings

The Comédie-Française has had several homes since its inception. In 1689, it was established across from the café Procope
Café Procope

Caf? Procope, in rue de l'Ancienne Com?die, 6th arrondissement of Paris, is the oldest restaurant of Paris. It was opened in 1686 by the Sicily Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, with a slyly subversive name adopted from the historian Procopius, whose Secret History, the Anekdota, long known of, had been discovered in the Vatican...
. The Odéon
Odéon

The Od?on is one of France's six "national Theater ", located in the VIe arrondissement , on the Left Bank of the Seine, next to the Luxembourg Garden in Paris....
 was designed by architects Marie-Joseph Peyre
Marie-Joseph Peyre

Marie-Joseph Peyre was a French architect who designed in the Neoclassical architecture....
 (1770–1843) and Charles De Wailly
Charles De Wailly

Charles De Wailly was a French architect and urbanist, and furniture designer, one of the principals in the Neoclassicism of the Antique. His major work was the Od?on for the Com?die-Fran?aise ....
 (1730–1798). Since 1799, the Comédie-Française has been housed in the salle Richelieu (architect Victor Louis
Victor Louis

Victor Louis , was a French architect, winner of the Prix de Rome in 1755.Louis was responsible for the Grand Th??tre de Bordeaux of 1780 and the galleries of the Palais-Royal in Paris....
) at 2, rue de Richelieu
Rue de Richelieu

Rue de Richelieu is a long street of Paris, starting in the south of the Ier arrondissement, ending in the IIe arrondissement....
. This theater was enlarged and modified in the 1800s, then rebuilt in 1900 after a severe fire.

List of administrators 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. The administrators are listed below in chronological order.

  • Jean-François-René Mahérault (7 February 1799 – 3 February 1813)
  • Nicolas Bernard (3 February 1813 – 11 June 1814 and 24 March 1815 – 28 June 1815)
  • François Cheron (1821 – 9 July 1825)
  • Baron Isidore Justin Séverin Taylor
    Baron Isidore Justin Séverin Taylor

    Baron Isidore Justin S?verin Taylor was a royal commissioner of the Th??tre-Fran?ais. He was responsible for editing Voyages pittoresques et romantiques dans l'ancienne France, a celebrated collection of lithographed drawings and paintings....
     (9 July 1825 until the July revolution and 5 April 1831 – 17 October 1838)
  • Hyacinthe Albertin (interim administrator during Taylor's travels)
  • Édouard-Joseph-Ennemond Mazères (24 September 1830 – 6 April 1831)
  • Armand-François Jouslin de La Salle (8 June 1833 – 31 July 1837)
  • Hygin-Auguste, called Edmond Cave (28 January 1837 – 17 October 1838)
  • Alexandre-Louis Poulet, called Vedel (managing director, 1 March 1837 – 8 March 1840)
  • François Buloz
    François Buloz

    Fran?ois Buloz was a France litt?rateur, magazine editor, and theater administrator.He was born in Vulbens, Haute-Savoie, near Geneva, and died in Paris....
     (17 October 1838 – 2 March 1848)
  • Joseph-Philippe Simon, called Lockroy (2 March – 11 October 1848)
  • Eugène Bazenerye (20 October 1848 – 16 November 1849)
  • Sébastien Edmond, called Sevestre (producer with administrative rôle, 13 October 1848 – 15 November 1849)
  • Arsène Housset, called Houssaye
    Arsène Houssaye

    Ars?ne Houssaye , France novelist, poet and man of letters, was born at Bruy?res , near Laon. His real surname was Housset.In 1832 he found his way to Paris, and in 1836 he published two novels, La Couronne de bluets and La P?cheresse....
     (15 November 1849 – 29 January 1856)
  • Adolphe Dominique Florent Joseph Simonis, named Empis (30 January 1856 – 21 October 1859)
  • Édouard Thierry (2 October 1859 – 8 July 1871)
  • Émile-César-Victor Perrin (8 July 1871 – 8 October 1885)
  • Albert Kaempfen (provisional post, 30 May – 20 October 1885)
  • Jules Claretie (20 October 1885 – 23 December 1913)
  • Albert Carré (1 January 1914 – 30 November 1915)
  • Émile Fabre
    Émile Fabre

    ?mile Fabre was a France dramatic author and administrators of the Com?die-Fran?aise of the Com?die-Fran?aise from 2 December 2, 1915 to October 15, 1936....
     (2 December 1915 – 15 October 1936)
  • Édouard Bourdet
    Edouard Bourdet

    ?douard Bourdet , was a France playwright.Bourdet was born at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, and died in Paris....
     (15 October 1936 – 27 December 1940)
  • Jacques Copeau
    Jacques Copeau

    Jacques Copeau was an influential French people theatre director, producer, actor, and dramatist. Before he founded his famous Th??tre du Vieux-Colombier in Paris, he wrote theater reviews for several Parisian journals, worked at the Georges Petit Gallery where he organized exhibits of artists' works and helped found the Nouvelle Revue Fran...
     (interim post 15 May – 27 December 1940 and full post 27 December 1940 – 7 January 1941)
  • Léon Lamblin (government commissioner 13 January – 7 March 1941)
  • Jean-Louis Vaudoyer (4 March 1941 – 23 March 1944)
  • André Brunot (24 March – 28 July 1944)
  • Jean Sarment (July 1944 did not take office)
  • Pierre Dux (1 September 1944 – 1 July 1945)
  • Joseph Denis called Denis D'Ines (1 July to start of October 1945)
  • André Obey
    André Obey

    Andr? Obey was a prominent French playwright during the inter-war years, and into the 1950s.He began as a novelist and produced an autobiography novel about his adolescence le Joueur de triangle ....
     (provisional post October 1945 – 6 April 1946 and full post 6 April 1946 – 5 February 1947)
  • Pierre-Aimé Touchard (5 April 1947 – 5 April 1953)
  • Pierre Descaves (5 April 1953 – 5 April 1959)
  • Claude de Boisanger (20 April 1959 – 30 January 1960 recalled then reinstated 27 November 1962 – 31 January 1960)
  • Maurice Escande (1 June 1960 – 31 July 1970)
  • Pierre Dux (1 August 1970 – 31 July 1979)
  • Jacques Toja (1 September 1979 – 31 July 1983)
  • Jean-Pierre Vincent (1 August 1983 – 31 July 1986)
  • Jean Le Poulain (1 August 1986 – March 1988)
  • Claude Winter (interim post 1 April – 15 June 1988)
  • Antoine Vitez (15 June 1988 – 30 April 1990)
  • Catherine Samie
    Catherine Samie

    Catherine Samie is French actress and member of Com?die-Fran?aise from 1962.Films*Pot-Bouille *Un ange au paradis*La Grande Paulette...
     (interim post 1 May – 5 July 1990)
  • Jacques Lassalle (15 July 1990 – 5 August 1993)
  • Jean-Pierre Miquel (5 August 1993 – 3 August 2001)
  • Marcel Bozonnet
    Marcel Bozonnet

    Marcel-Louis Bozonnet is a France actor born in Semur-en-Auxois on the 18 mai 1944.Bozonnet entered the Com?die-Fran?aise in 1982, and became a "Soci?taires of the Com?die-Fran?aise" in 1986....
     (4 August 2001 – 3 August 2006)
  • Muriel Mayette (4 August 2006 –


See also

  • Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française
    Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française

    The soci?taires of the Com?die-Fran?aise are chosen from among the pensionnaires who have been in the company a year or more.They are decided upon in the course of a general assembly of the company's administrative committee, made up of 6 existing soci?taires, the senior soci?taire, and the general administrator....


External links