Molière

1622-1673. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, son of Jean Poquelin and Marie Cressé, was born in 1622. He studied law in Orléans, and in 1643, having already formed a connection with actress Madeleine Béjart, he established the troupe "L’Illustre Théâtre" with her. Under the pseudonym Molière, he directed the troupe, which settled in Paris. The troupe toured for thirteen years until 1645. In 1655, Molière's first surviving comedy "The Blunderer" was performed in Lyon, with Molière playing the role of Mascarille. In 1656, "The Love-Tiff" was presented. In 1658, the troupe was renamed "Troupe of Monsieur." The success of the farce "The Doctor in Love" was such that they were granted the Petit Bourbon theater. The next success of the troupe was "The Pretentious Young Ladies" in 1659. In 1660, "Sganarelle, or The Imaginary Cuckold" was presented. This was followed by the highly successful "The School for Wives," and in response to the literary controversy surrounding the play, Molière answered with "The Critique of The School for Wives" and "The Versailles Impromptu." In 1664, the premiere of the comedy "The Forced Marriage" was given, and on May 12, the first three acts of "Tartuffe" were presented. The king immediately banned the performance of "Tartuffe" in Paris. In 1665, the premiere of "Don Juan" was given, which, despite its success, was taken down after 20 performances. Louis XIV granted Molière's troupe the title "The King's Troupe" and a subsidy of 6,000 livres. This was followed by the plays "The Doctor in Spite of Himself" and "The Misanthrope." In 1667, the second version of "Tartuffe" was presented on August 5 and was banned the next day. In 1668, "George Dandin" and "The Miser" were staged. In 1669, Molière returned to "Tartuffe" for a third adaptation, the play was approved, and it achieved triumphant success. In 1670, "The Bourgeois Gentleman" was staged. This was followed by "The Tricks of Scapin" in 1671 and "The Learned Ladies" in 1672. On February 10, the premiere of "The Imaginary Invalid" was given, with Molière in the leading role of Argan. During the fourth performance, Molière felt very unwell, was taken to his home, and there he took his last breath.