Oh how I love the story of this French man. Any struggling actor can draw inspiration from his life. Born in Paris on January 15, 1622 as Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, received every advantage a boy could wish for. His father tended to the king’s furniture and upholstery, so Moliere had access to the king’s court. But even as a child, he found it way more pleasing to poke fun at the aristocracy that to associate with them. Never showing much interest in his father’s craft, luckily his fathers shop was located near two important theatrical sites: the Pont-Neuf and the Hotel de Bourgogne. At the Pont-Neuf, they performed comedic farces in the street and a brought a smile to Moliere’s face on many an afternoon. At the Hotel de Bourgogne, which he attended with his grandfather, the King’s Players performed more traditional romantic tragedies and broad farces. Between the two different theatrical venues, we can see the impact it had on the young man. In 1643, at the age of twenty-one, he decided to dedicate his life to the theater, and thank god he did!
He started a theater company with a girl he had fallen in love with and a dozen well-to-do hopefuls. They called themselves The Illustrious Theater. To spare his father any embarrassment for having an actor in the family, he changed his name to Moliere. He and his company made their dramatic debut in a converted tennis court. With little experience and a lot of enthusiasm, they charged admission. It was a disaster! Over the next two years the little company appeared throughout Paris, each time failing miserably. Many dropped out of the company, so the remaining seven actors decided to leave Paris and go tour the provinces. For the next TWELVE YEARS, they would travel from town to town perfecting their craft.
During this time Moliere began to write plays for the company. His first important piece, L’Etourdi or The Blunderer, followed the escapades of Mascarille, a shrewd servant who goes about furthering his master’s love affair only to have his plans ruined when the blundering lover inadvertently interferes. The play was a success and a number of other works followed. By 1658, Moliere had improved his company and they decided to try Paris one more time. They learned the King’s brother, the Duke of Anjou, wanted to support a dramatic company which would bear his name; they immediately set out to gain an introduction to the Court.
He and his troupe performed for the first time before Louis XIV and his courtiers on October 24, 1658. They made a crucial mistake by performing a tragedy instead of one of their popular farces. The Court was not impressed, so Moliere approached the King about performing one of his own plays,
The Love Sick Doctor. The King agreed and it was such a success that they were granted use of the Hotel de Petit Bourbon, one of the three most important theaters in Paris. The little troupe then became known as the Troupe de Monsieur.
Many of his plays scrutinized members of the King’s court but a success with the public. He made powerful enemies that managed to have performances of the play suspended for fourteen days and attempted to have him driven out of the city. They had the Petit Bourbon closed down completely, but the King immediately granted Moliere use of the Theatre du Palais Royal where he continued to perform for the rest of his life. Eventually they would be awarded the coveted title of “Troupe of the King”. Moliere directed and often played the leading role himself. On February 17, 1673, Moliere suffered a hemorrhage while playing the role of the hypochondriac Argan in
The Imaginary Invalid. He had insisted on going through with the show saying, “There are fifty poor workers who have only their daily wage to lie on. What will become of them if the performance does not take place?” He passed away later that night at his home. Actors had no social standing and had been excommunicated by the church; therefore, no priest would take his confession and refused to bury him in holy ground. Four days later, the King interceded and Moliere was laid to rest in the Cemetery Saint Joseph.
Moliere changed the face of French classical comedy and has gone on to influence works all over the world.
Check these out:
The Miser (1668)
The Misanthrope (1666)
The Doctor in Spite of Himself (1666)
Tartuffe (1664)
The School for Husbands (1661)
The School for Wives (1662)
