D'Hannetaire
Encyclopedia
Jean-Nicolas Servandoni, stage name D'Hannetaire, (3 November 1718 - 1 January 1780) was a French actor and theatre director.
, the son of the Florentine
painter Jean-Nicolas Servandoni and his wife Marie-Josèphe Gravier; he was probably the nephew of the famous Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni
, known for his façade for the église Saint-Sulpice in Paris
. D'Hannetaire seems to have begun his acting career in Germany
, around 1740. He played at the château d'Arolsen, for the prince of Waldeck, around 1743 and was in Aix-la-Chapelle in 1744, from whence he arrived in Liège
around the end of the year. In November he presented a Divertissement nouveau de chants et de danses for prince-bishop Jean-Théodore of Bavaria and, also whilst in Liège, married the comic-actor Marguerite-Antoinette Huet (stage name Mllle Danicourt) on 17 February 1745. The couple arrived in Brussels
in October 1745 and D'Hannetaire took up leadership of the Théâtre de la Monnaie
, from which he was dislodged four months later by Favart. He and his wife integrated into the troupe of maréchal de Saxe and he once again took direction of the theatre on the departures of the French troupes at the end of 1748.
He then played at Toulouse
and Bordeaux
, then made his debut at the Comédie-Française
on 27 April 1752 in the rôle of Orgon in Tartuffe
. However, he preferred to return to Brussels, in Durancy's troupe, in which he was entrusted "les rôles à manteaux" and "les rôles de Crispin". In 1755 he took over from Durancy as head of this troupe, and stayed so until 1771, sometimes alone, sometimes in association with other actors.
D'Hannetaire and his wife had 8 children, 2 of whom also became notable actors :
In 1768, he renounced acting to become a notary
, in the historic context of the excommunication of actors "in virtue of an old usage of comedy". Nevertheless, he continued to act at Brussels for several years, before having to retire until his death in Brussels.
Life
He was born in GrenobleGrenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, the son of the Florentine
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
painter Jean-Nicolas Servandoni and his wife Marie-Josèphe Gravier; he was probably the nephew of the famous Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni
Giovanni Niccolo Servandoni
Jean-Nicolas Servan, also known as Giovanni Niccolò Servando or Servandoni was a French decorator, architect, scene-painter and trompe-l'œil specialist.He was the son of a carriage-builder at Lyon....
, known for his façade for the église Saint-Sulpice in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. D'Hannetaire seems to have begun his acting career in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, around 1740. He played at the château d'Arolsen, for the prince of Waldeck, around 1743 and was in Aix-la-Chapelle in 1744, from whence he arrived in Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
around the end of the year. In November he presented a Divertissement nouveau de chants et de danses for prince-bishop Jean-Théodore of Bavaria and, also whilst in Liège, married the comic-actor Marguerite-Antoinette Huet (stage name Mllle Danicourt) on 17 February 1745. The couple arrived in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in October 1745 and D'Hannetaire took up leadership of the Théâtre de la Monnaie
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
, from which he was dislodged four months later by Favart. He and his wife integrated into the troupe of maréchal de Saxe and he once again took direction of the theatre on the departures of the French troupes at the end of 1748.
He then played at Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
and Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, then made his debut at the Comédie-Française
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state theaters in France. It is the only state theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris....
on 27 April 1752 in the rôle of Orgon in Tartuffe
Tartuffe
Tartuffe is a comedy by Molière. It is one of his most famous plays.-History:Molière wrote Tartuffe in 1664...
. However, he preferred to return to Brussels, in Durancy's troupe, in which he was entrusted "les rôles à manteaux" and "les rôles de Crispin". In 1755 he took over from Durancy as head of this troupe, and stayed so until 1771, sometimes alone, sometimes in association with other actors.
D'Hannetaire and his wife had 8 children, 2 of whom also became notable actors :
- EugénieEugénie D'HannetaireMarie-Louis-Philippine-Eugénie Servandoni , stage name Eugénie D'Hannetaire, was a French actress. She was the daughter of the actor-director D'Hannetaire and the actress Marguerite Huet . She made her debut at the Théâtre de la Monnaie aged 8, in child roles, then from 15 as a dancer...
(1746–1816), married the comic-actor LariveLariveJean Mauduit, stage name Larive or de La Rive, was a French actor. He was born in La Rochelle on 6 August 1747 and died at Montlignon on 30 April 1827.-Life:...
, it was to her that the prince de Ligne dedicated his Lettres à Eugénie sur les spectacles (1774) - AngéliqueAngélique D'HannetaireMarie-Angélique Servandoni , stage name Angélique D'Hannetaire, was a French actress. She was the daughter of the actor and director D'Hannetaire and his wife, the actor Marguerite Hue...
(1749–1822), mistress of vicomte Desandrouins, then of the same prince de Ligne.
In 1768, he renounced acting to become a notary
Notary
A notary is a lawyer or person with legal training who is licensed by the state to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents...
, in the historic context of the excommunication of actors "in virtue of an old usage of comedy". Nevertheless, he continued to act at Brussels for several years, before having to retire until his death in Brussels.
Works
- Observations sur l'Art du Comédien, et sur d'autres objets concernant cette Profession en général, known in 8 editions, at first anonymous, then under the pseudonym Dhannetaire (1772, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1778 and 1800).