Armande Béjart

Armande - Claire - Élisabeth Béjart Grésinde (* 1642, † 1700) was a French actress from the eponymous Parisian comedians family. She was the wife of the playwright and theater director Molière and took over after his death for several years directing the troops.

Origin

It is not clear whether Armande Béjart was or child of their eldest daughter Madeleine Béjart, the long -time partner and companion of Molière youngest child of actor Joseph Béjart and his wife Marie Hervé. Given the date of death of Joseph Béjart ( 1643) and the age of Madeleine (* 1618), both assumptions are possible. It should be noted that on the one hand, the discount certificate Béjart among his children an unbaptized little girl lists ( "une petite non baptisee " ), could be the Armande, and had, on the other Madeleine born that already on July 3, 1638 an illegitimate daughter, Françoise.

The contemporaries thought Armande mostly for madeleines daughter, and opponents of Molière even wrote this about the paternity, probably due to a rival of the troupe of the Hôtel de Bourgogne put into circulation rumor. Accordingly, they accused him of incest when he married Armande in 1662. Molière is said to have justified against this accusation by today presented to Louis XIV Armande lost birth certificate. In any event, the sponsorship of the King took over a little later for her first child.

Marriages

The marriage with the 20 years older Molière was held in the parish church of Saint- Germain l'Auxerrois on 20 February in 1662. The couple had three children: Louis ( * January 1664 ), who died at the age of 8 months, Esprit -Madeleine ( born August 1665 † without issue 1723) and Pierre -Jean -Baptiste -Armand (* 1672), which only a few days old was. The marriage Armande with Molière was not always happy. From 1666 she lived for a while separated from him.

After the sudden death of Molière on 17 February 1673 succeeded Armande thanks to the help of the king who turned on the Archbishop of Paris, to break the resistance of the parish priest and a permit for a Christian burial at the cemetery of the parish church of St- Eustache de Paris to obtain. However, it was stipulated that it had to be done secretly and at night. However, Armande could not prevent a large crowd was escorted by the light of torches 100 Molière.

She then took over the management of the Force, the short time later with the Théâtre du Marais merged (see below).

On May 29, 1677 married his second wife an actor of the Marais, Isaac François Guérin d' screeds.

Acting activity

Armande Béjart seemed very early with in Molière's troupe. Already in 1653 she appeared under the name of Mademoiselle Menou on in children's roles. Later she performed the Elmire in Tartuffe ( 1664), the Célimène in The Misanthrope ( 1666), the Lucile in The Bourgeois Gentleman (1670 ), the Henrietta in The Learned Ladies ( 1672) and Angelique in The Imaginary Invalid ( 1673 ). However, they also took on tragic roles such as the nucleophiles in Alexandre by Jean Racine, the Flavie in Attila and Bérénice in Tite et Bérénice of Pierre Corneille. Even after the death of Molière she continued to play the roles that he had written for her. 1694 she sat down to rest.

The preservation of Molière's heritage

After the death of Molière she took over, supported by actor La Grange, head of the troop. However, this was decimated by poaching the so-called " grands comédiens " of the Hôtel de Bourgogne in the rue Monconseil and lost the hall of the Palais Royal to Lully, who installed an opera there. On the other hand, succeeded Armande to merge with another Parisian troupe of the Marais (which her ​​future second husband belonged ), and to win as a new venue the hall of the ball game house Jeu de Paume de la Bouteille in the rue Guénégaud.

1680, seven years after Molière's death, the Troupe de l' Hôtel Guénégaud closed order of the king, together with their rivals from the Hôtel de Bourgogne, which is considered as the founding act of the Comédie Française.

The resulting force after 1680 also played at the Hôtel Guénégaud, but this had to evacuate in 1687 due to the opening of the adjacent Collège des Quatre Nations, whose founding Mazarin had in his will. Looking for a hall where she was initially turned away everywhere: at the Hôtel de Soudis ( rue de l' Arbre Sec, corner of rue des Fossées Saint -Germain ) because of the opposition of the priest of the parish church of Saint -Germain l'Auxerrois, the Hôtel de Nemours ( between rue de Savoie and the Quai des Grands Augustins ) due to the rejection of the pastor of St. Andre- des-Arts, the Hôtel de Lussan ( rue des Petits Champs ) due to the protest of the pastor of the parish church of St- Eustache de Paris, who objected that it is enough that he had been the Comédie Italienne in his parish. This played now in fact at the Hôtel de Bourgogne. Finally, it was allowed, despite the opposition of the priest of St- Sulpice de Paris of the troops, to settle in the old ball game house Jeu de Paume de l' Etoile 1547, which it acquired for £ 60,000.

The architect François d' Orbay waived the fee for the design of the renovation of the building, its beautiful Italian theater was inaugurated on April 18, 1689 with performances of Racine's Phèdre and Molière's Le malgré lui Doctor and the troops some 80 years until 1770 served. Today only the facade as number 14 of the present rue de l' Ancienne Comédie in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.

Armande Béjart died in 1700 and was buried in the church of St- Sulpice de Paris.