Grandmesnil (actor)
Encyclopedia
Jean-Baptiste Fauchard (19 March 1737, Paris
- 24 May 1816, Paris), stage name Grandmesnil or Grand-Ménil), was a French actor and playwright.
, he gave himself over the theatrical interests he had always had and appeared in several servant roles. Returning to France some years later, he acted in Marseille
and then in Bordeaux
, where he played financiers and "rôles à manteau".
On 31 August 1790, he made his début at the Comédie-Française
(becoming a societaire
of it in 1792), from which he retired on 21 March 1811. Grandmesnil was noted as one of the best interpreters of Molière
and particularly excelled in the rôles of Arnolphe and Harpagon. The distinction of his manners and the constant regularity of his lifestyle were highly valued and in 1796 he was summoned to the Académie des Beaux-Arts de l'Institut de France on its formation, in the Literature and Fine Arts classe.
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...
- 24 May 1816, Paris), stage name Grandmesnil or Grand-Ménil), was a French actor and playwright.
Life
At first a lawyer in the parliament of Paris, then a counsellor in the Admiralty, he spoke out against the Parlement Maupeou and left France in 1771. Taking refuge in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, he gave himself over the theatrical interests he had always had and appeared in several servant roles. Returning to France some years later, he acted in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
and then in 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...
, where he played financiers and "rôles à manteau".
On 31 August 1790, he made his début 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....
(becoming a societaire
Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française
The sociétaires of the Comédie-Française 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 sociétaires, the senior sociétaire, and the general...
of it in 1792), from which he retired on 21 March 1811. Grandmesnil was noted as one of the best interpreters of Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
and particularly excelled in the rôles of Arnolphe and Harpagon. The distinction of his manners and the constant regularity of his lifestyle were highly valued and in 1796 he was summoned to the Académie des Beaux-Arts de l'Institut de France on its formation, in the Literature and Fine Arts classe.
Works
Grandmesnil wrote two plays, although they may have never been performed in his lifetime.- Le Savetier joyeux (1759)
- Tant pis pour elles, tant pis pour eux et tant mieux pour eux, tant mieux pour elles, ou le Voyage impromptu (1760)
Source
- Gustave Vapereau, Dictionnaire universel des littératures, Paris, Hachette, 1876, p. 923
External links
- His works and productions of them on the CÉSAR site