Eugène Labiche

The French playwright Eugene Labiche was born on May 6, 1815, and died on February 22, 1888, in Paris. Coming from a wealthy bourgeois family, he attended the College Bourbon and in 1833 obtained his diploma in literature. He then began studying law while simultaneously publishing short stories and articles in small magazines. After the publication of several of his plays, Labiche wrote his only novel, "La Clef des champs" (1839), and achieved particular success in the genre of farce comedy (vaudeville): light comedies that combine dance ballets and songs in a popular style. He published nearly one hundred plays in collaboration with other writers, mainly with Edmond Gondinet. Among his masterpieces are: "An Italian Straw Hat" (1851), "The Journey of Mr. Perrichon" (1860), "The Art of Putting on a Show" (1861). After the relative failure of the play "La Cle" (1877), Labiche decided at the age of sixty-two to stop writing. In 1880, he became a member of the French Academy.