Jacques Marie Boutet
Encyclopedia
Jacques Marie Boutet was a French
actor and comic dramatist from Lunéville
. His pseudonym
was Monvel. He was a small, thin man without good looks or voice, and yet he became one of the greatest comedians of his time.
in Merope and Zenaide; he was received socitaire in 1772. For some unknown reason, Monvel secretly left Paris
for Sweden
in 1781, as the head of a troupe of French actors. He became reader to the king
, a post which he held for several years. Until 1786, he was the director for the French theatre in Bollhuset
and had a great importance for the development for the organisation of the native Swedish theater as the educator of the first Swedish actors for the Royal Dramatic Theatre
, such as Fredrique Löwen
, Lars Hjortsberg
and Maria Franck
, in the modern style of acting; among his troup of French actors was Anne Marie Milan Desguillons
, who was also to have a great importance to the theater-life in Sweden.
At the French Revolution
he returned to Paris, embraced its principles with ardour, and joined the theatre in the rue Richelieu (the rival of the Comédie-Française
), which, under Talma
, with Dugazon
, his sister Mme Vestris, Grandmesnil
(1737-1816) and Mme Desgarcins, was soon to become the Théatre de la République.
After the Revolution, Monvel returned to the reconstituted Comédie-Française with all his old companions, but retired in 1807. Monvel was made a member of the Institute in 1795. He wrote six plays (four of them performed at the Comédie Francaise), two comedies, and fifteen libretti for comic operas, seven with music by N. Dezde (1740-1792), eight by Nicolas Dalayrac
(1753-1809). He also published an historical novel, Fredgonde et Brunehaut (1776). He was professor of elocution at the Conservatoire.
In the 1780s Monvel fled France and went into a brief exile in Sweden after he was caught making sexual assignations with men in the gardens of the Tuileries.
The actor's liaison with actress Jeanne-Marie-Marguerite Salvetat (aka Madame Mars cadette) produced one daughter, Anne-Françoise-Hippolyte Boutet Salvetat (known professionally as Mademoiselle Mars
), who became a well-known actress.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
actor and comic dramatist from Lunéville
Lunéville
Lunéville is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department and lies on the Meurthe River.-History:...
. His pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
was Monvel. He was a small, thin man without good looks or voice, and yet he became one of the greatest comedians of his time.
Biography
After some years of apprenticeship in the provinces, he made his debut in 1770 at the Comédie-FrançaiseComédie-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....
in Merope and Zenaide; he was received socitaire in 1772. For some unknown reason, Monvel secretly left 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...
for Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1781, as the head of a troupe of French actors. He became reader to the king
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
, a post which he held for several years. Until 1786, he was the director for the French theatre in Bollhuset
Bollhuset
Bollhuset, also called ', ', and ' at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater building in the whole of Scandinavia. The name "" means "The Ball House", and it was built in 1627 for ball sports and used in...
and had a great importance for the development for the organisation of the native Swedish theater as the educator of the first Swedish actors for the Royal Dramatic Theatre
Royal Dramatic Theatre
The Royal Dramatic Theatre is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's eight running stages....
, such as Fredrique Löwen
Fredrique Löwen
Fredrica Löf, also known as Fredrique Löwen was a Swedish stage actress...
, Lars Hjortsberg
Lars Hjortsberg
Lars Hjortsberg was a Swedish actor. He is often called the greatest male actor in his country in the 19th century; he and Emilie Högquist are the best known Swedish actors from the first half of that century.- Biography :...
and Maria Franck
Maria Franck
Maria Kristina Franck, later Ruckman, , was a Swedish actor, also known as Kristina Ruckman, who later also became principal of the theatre school Dramatens elevskola...
, in the modern style of acting; among his troup of French actors was Anne Marie Milan Desguillons
Anne Marie Milan Desguillons
Anne Marie Milan Desguillons was a French stage actress, active in Sweden. She was also active as an instructor and director of the theatre school Dramatens elevskola jointly with her spouse, and as such had a great influence over the development of the Swedish theatre.-Biography and career:Anne...
, who was also to have a great importance to the theater-life in Sweden.
At the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
he returned to Paris, embraced its principles with ardour, and joined the theatre in the rue Richelieu (the rival of 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....
), which, under Talma
François-Joseph Talma
François Joseph Talma was a French actor.He was born in Paris. His father, a dentist, moved to London, gave him a good English education. He returned to Paris, where for a year and a half he practised dentistry...
, with Dugazon
Jean-Henry Gourgaud
Jean-Henri Gourgaud , French actor under the stage name Dugazon, was born in Marseille, the son of Pierre-Antoine Gourgaud, the director of military hospitals there and also an actor....
, his sister Mme Vestris, Grandmesnil
Grandmesnil (actor)
Jean-Baptiste Fauchard , stage name Grandmesnil or Grand-Ménil), was a French actor and playwright.-Life:...
(1737-1816) and Mme Desgarcins, was soon to become the Théatre de la République.
After the Revolution, Monvel returned to the reconstituted Comédie-Française with all his old companions, but retired in 1807. Monvel was made a member of the Institute in 1795. He wrote six plays (four of them performed at the Comédie Francaise), two comedies, and fifteen libretti for comic operas, seven with music by N. Dezde (1740-1792), eight by Nicolas Dalayrac
Nicolas Dalayrac
Nicolas-Marie d'Alayrac, known as Nicolas Dalayrac , was a French composer, best known for his opéras-comiques.- Biography :...
(1753-1809). He also published an historical novel, Fredgonde et Brunehaut (1776). He was professor of elocution at the Conservatoire.
In the 1780s Monvel fled France and went into a brief exile in Sweden after he was caught making sexual assignations with men in the gardens of the Tuileries.
The actor's liaison with actress Jeanne-Marie-Marguerite Salvetat (aka Madame Mars cadette) produced one daughter, Anne-Françoise-Hippolyte Boutet Salvetat (known professionally as Mademoiselle Mars
Mademoiselle Mars
Mademoiselle Mars, , French actress, was born in Paris, the natural daughter of the actor-author named Monvel and Jeanne-Marie Salvetat , an actress known as Madame Mars, whose southern accent had made her Paris debut a failure.Mlle Mars began her stage career...
), who became a well-known actress.