- Societaires (Lead members of a compnay) were shareholders, Pensionnaires (Actors hired on a fixed salary) were contracted to perform minor roles

- Before 1650, generally 8-12 performers in a company; number grew larger over time 

- Women were apart of the theatre companies and were able to become societaires

- Societaires were provided with a 20-year tenure and a pension

- Shareholders provided own costumes
- Troupes spent little time in rehearsal

-  Companies would have repertoire of up to 70 plays 

- Once a play had been introduced, troupe was expected to revive it on very short notice

o   First permanent theatre company of Paris

- Theatre du Marais formed possibly a year later

- 1661- Comedia dell’arte thrived and a troupe was formed under Tiberio Fiorillo

- 1658-1673- Moliere’s troupe became immensely popular
- 1673- 5 government-supported companies functioned in Paris:

o   The Opera

o   The comedia dell’arte troupe

o   Hotel de Bourgogne company

o   Theatre du Marais company

o   Moliere’s company
-1673- Moliere dies and Louis XIV ordered his troupe to merge with the Marais company
- 1680- Louis consolidated the Bourgogne troupe with the Moliere- Marais company, which would become Comedie Francaise

- 1689: Company moved into its own building
- Has survived French Revolution, the rise of melodrama and boulevard theaters
- Now stands as the best of French classical drama

When the Théâtre du Marais opened in 1634, the Hôtel de Bourgogne had its first competition. The Marais was a converted indoor tennis court. Before the Marais opened, if the Bourgogne was already leased to a theatrical company, other companies could perform in Paris in temporarily converted tennis courts. Since indoor tennis courts were long, narrow buildings like the Bourgogne and had galleries for spectators, they were easily transformed into theatres; erecting a platform stage at one end of the building and installing additional temporary galleries would produce a theatre space nearly identical to the Bourgogne. 

Cardinal Richelieu erected the Palais Cardinal, renamed the Palais-Royal after his death. The Palais Cardinal was the first proscenium-arch theatre in France; it also had Italianate scene-shifting machinery. The theatre building was a rectangular space with a stage at one end and galleries on three sides around it. It accommodated almost 1,500 people: 300 standing in a “pit” in front of the stage, about 700 sitting in a raised amphitheatre behind the pit, about 330 sitting in the galleries, 70 standing at the very back, and 50 wealthy nobles sitting on the sides of the stage itself.

1643- King Louis died and was succeeded by his 5-year-old son Louis XIV, who was under the supervision of Cardinal Mazarin. During the king’s reign theatre developed but once his monarch moves outside of Paris theater then declined. 

1659- In the Francon-Spanish war signs the treaty of Pyrenees with Spain annexing eastern territory to France. This war confirms the dominant power in the continent.

1678- The treaties of Nijmege, ends the Franco -Dutch war extended even more territory from Spain. These series of wars extended France land until the end of the century 17.

1715- Louis XIV died of gangrene and his 5-year-old great grandson Louis XV succeed him with the Duke of Orleans, acting as regent. Louis XV becomes king of France in 1723

1738-1774: King Louis XV signs many treaties, including the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle between France and Britain, Treaty of Paris, ending the “Seven years of war”, the treaty of “Versailles”, when the Republic of Genova ceded Corsica to France.

1774- Louis XV dies succeeded by his grandson Louis XVI. Under his reign, France recognizes American Colonies as independent from the United Kingdom. France will wage war with the United Kingdom in different parts of the world, striving for the mentioned Peace of Paris.

1789- The French Revolution begins getting former King Louis XVI executed by the guillotine. In 1793 queen Marie Antoinette was also executed by guillotine.

1799- The National “hero” Napoleon Bonaparte conquering the Italian peninsula becomes the first Counsel of the Republic.

France had no restriction in woman performing on stage. Its known by tragic-comedy and the actor names needed to describe a typical role or a stereotypical character. For example, a servant needed to act as a servant a king as a king.

Some important theaters of the time are:

- Hotel de Bourgogne

- Theatre du Marais

-shirts with deep cuffs

-wide mustaches and pointed beards

- Pantaloons- fitted calf-length pants made of elastic knitted fabric. 

Costumes for woman:

-loose waves of hair

-Linen caps for married woman

-Body fitted gowns

-Full skirts

 -Underskirts hoops

-Puffy sleeves

- Pelisse- a close-fitting, sleeved coat-dress with a high neck and matching belt. Opens all the way up the front. 

- Poke Bonnet - a bonnet with a small crown at back-Hair over their foreheads like a feather

-Redingote – A fitted, long princess cut coat

-Reticule/Indispensible- a small, drawstring purse, worn at the wrist.

-Topboots- high, solid-legged or laced boot of the 1780’s and 1790’s

--Wrapped Cravat- a huge cravat wound high around the neck to hold up the shirt collar over the chin with the ends tied in a bow in front. 

- Verisimilitude: All drama must be “True to life.” NO supernatural events since they were not in everyday live

o   No Deus Ex Machina

o   No soliloquy

- The Unities: 

o   Unity of Time: Dramatic action should not exceed the 24 hour rule. 

o   Unity of Place: Restricts the setting of a play to one location

o   Unity of Action: No sub-plots allowed!!!! One central story revolving a small group of characters

- Purity of Dramatic Types: Comedies and Tragedies don’t mix. Tragedy is royal and must resolve calamitously, Comedy is common and must resolve in a happy ending.

- Purpose of Drama: To teach and please. Must teach a moral lesson and entertain at the same time

Playwrights

John Baptiste Poquelin (Moliere): Father was a minor official in the court of King Louis XIII. Requested that his son change his name as to not embarrass the family or the court.

 

Wrote two comedies: Farcical (influenced by Commedia) and High comedies (Comedy of character)

 

Died at his home after collapsing on stage during a performance.

 

Was excommunicated from the church due to being an actor and did not die in a state of grace. Wasn’t “legally” allowed to be buried in hollowed ground. King Louis XIV intervened and had him buried after dark in a private, secret ceremony.

 

Pierre Corneille: Was the son of a wealthy lawyer and followed in his career writing Mélite in his spare time. He wrote many comedies in his leisure. Cardinal Richelieu became interested and convinced him to join the Society of Five Authors. He (Pierre) incurred the cardinal’s wrath when he altered a plot. He was NOT about that write to order life.

 

Tartuffe themes: 

1. Sin
-There's a lot of whisper and differing opinions about sin in Tartuffe. Madame Pernelle tells everyone that Tartuffe is the authority as far as sin's concerned.


2. Appearances and Beauty
-Throughout Tartuffe, Moliere illustrates that appearances can be deceiving. Moliere contests that beauty is something to be appreciated and admired, but that it cannot rule our actions.

3. Family and Fathers
-In Tartuffe, Moliere demonstrates both how important family and fatherhood are, and how devastating it is when these structures are corrupted. As Orgon, the patriarch, falls further and further into Tartuffe’s trap, all those in his household begin to suffer the consequences, making clear his central role within his family.

4. Reason vs. Emotion
-The people of Moliere’s society considered reason one of the highest of virtues, and considered emotion weak and irrational. Throughout the play, Tartuffe uses emotion to deceive those around him, while Cléante, Dorine, and Elmire employ reason to combat him. The contrast between the emotion of Tartuffe and the reason of the other characters clearly illustrates the differences between them.

5. Religion, Piety, and Morals
-French culture at this time closely linked society and religion; the Church held an enormous amount of power, and piety was considered an essential part of everyday life. Tartuffe, however, misuses religion, his shows of faith contrasting with the quiet but true faith of characters such as Elmire.