Illustre Théâtre
Encyclopedia
The Illustre Théâtre was a French theatre company set up by Molière
on 30 June 1643, and shut down less than two years later on his imprisonment in August 1645. However, it is notable for its impact on the history of the French theatre. It was succeeded by la Troupe de Molière
.
The new troupe set up at first at the Perle dive, rue de la Perle in Paris
. Some months later, it moved to Rouen
where an eleventh member, Catherine Bourgeois, was added, some of the original, like Bonenfant, having stayed in Paris.
Having won the protection of the duc d'Orléans, the new troupe returned to Paris
and took up residence at the jeu de paume
des Métayers, 13 rue de Seine, where they opened on 1 January 1644 playing tragedy
. Receipts were low and their protector left for the war. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
, who signed himself Molière
from 28 June, was obliged to borrow. They had to leave and moved to the jeu de paume de la Croix-Noire, rue des Barrés, in December of the same year. Unable to repay his multiple creditors, Molière was imprisoned in August 1645 : after less than two years of existence, the Illustre Théâtre had finally failed, but it had made a mark on the history of theatre.
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...
on 30 June 1643, and shut down less than two years later on his imprisonment in August 1645. However, it is notable for its impact on the history of the French theatre. It was succeeded by la Troupe de Molière
Troupe of Molière
Molière's company was the theatrical company which formed around Molière from 1648 onwards. It followed his Illustre Théâtre and disappeared in 1680, seven years after his death, upon its merger with the troupes of the théâtre du Marais and the Hôtel de Bourgogne, giving birth to the...
.
History
By an act of association signed on 30 June 1643, before the notaries Mes Duchesne and Fieffé, the troupe was set up by the following signatories:- Denis Beys
- Germain Clérin, known as Villabé
- Jean-Baptiste PoquelinMolièreJean-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...
(not yet known as Molière) - Joseph Béjart
- Nicolas Bonenfant, known as Croisac
- Georges Pinel, known as La Couture
- Madeleine BéjartMadeleine BéjartMadeleine Béjart , was a French actress and theatre director, one of the most famous French stage actors of the 17th-century. She belonged to the Béjart family, a famous theatre family in 17th-century France. Madeleine was the second child of Joseph and Marie-Herve Bejart...
- who was, by the act, accorded the privilege "to choose whichever rôle she likes" - Madeleine Malingre
- Catherine Des Urlis
- Geneviève Béjart, known as Mlle Hervé.
The new troupe set up at first at the Perle dive, rue de la Perle 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...
. Some months later, it moved to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
where an eleventh member, Catherine Bourgeois, was added, some of the original, like Bonenfant, having stayed in Paris.
Having won the protection of the duc d'Orléans, the new troupe returned to 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...
and took up residence at the jeu de paume
Jeu de paume
Jeu de paume is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, though these were eventually introduced. It is a former Olympic sport, and has the oldest ongoing annual world championship in sport, first established over 250 years ago...
des Métayers, 13 rue de Seine, where they opened on 1 January 1644 playing tragedy
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
. Receipts were low and their protector left for the war. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
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...
, who signed himself 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...
from 28 June, was obliged to borrow. They had to leave and moved to the jeu de paume de la Croix-Noire, rue des Barrés, in December of the same year. Unable to repay his multiple creditors, Molière was imprisoned in August 1645 : after less than two years of existence, the Illustre Théâtre had finally failed, but it had made a mark on the history of theatre.
20th century homages
- The theatre in PézenasPézenasPézenas is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France. At the 1999 census, its population was 7443.-Name:...
is called Illustre Théâtre, in homage to Molière who crossed the LanguedocLanguedocLanguedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
between 1647 and 1657, and stayed in Pézenas in 1650-1651, during the Estates of LanguedocEstates of LanguedocThe Estates of Languedoc was the provincial assembly for the province of Languedoc during the ancien regime, during which time it was a pays d'états....
. - The metteur en scèneMise en scèneMise-en-scène is an expression used to describe the design aspects of a theatre or film production, which essentially means "visual theme" or "telling a story"—both in visually artful ways through storyboarding, cinematography and stage design, and in poetically artful ways through direction...
Jean-Marie Villégier named his company the Illustre Théâtre in reference to Molière : « On sait par exemple qu'il a joué CorneillePierre CorneillePierre Corneille was a French tragedian who was one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine...
, Tristan L'HermiteTristan l'HermiteSee also François Tristan l'HermiteTristan l'Hermite was a French political and military figure of the late Middle Ages.He was provost of the marshals of the King's household under Louis XI of France, which gave him enormous power in the Intrigues and plots that characterized that king's 22-year...
, RotrouJean RotrouJean Rotrou was a French poet and tragedian.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. In 1632 he became playwright to the actors of the Hôtel de Bourgogne...
. Mon idée était de travailler ce répertoire, tel que l'a trouvé Molière avant de devenir l'écrivain que l'on connaît. » ("We know, for example, that he played Corneille, Tristan L'Hermite, Rotrou. My idea was to work this repertoire, as Molière found it before becoming the writer that we know.")