Francoise Cordon, stage name Mademoiselle Bellonde (1650s–1716), was a French stage actress.
[Scott, Virginia (2010). ]
Women on the stage in early modern France : 1540-1750
'. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. .
She was engaged at the
Hôtel de Bourgogne in 1679. She became a
Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française The sociétaires of the Comédie-Française are chosen from among the ''pensionnaires'' who have been in the company a year or more.
They are decided upon in the course of a general assembly of the company's administrative committee, made up of 6 e ...
in 1680. She retired in 1695.
She was born in Paris, but left the city to tour around France in a travelling theatre company, in which she achieved great success in the provinces, particularly in
Marseilles
Marseille (; ; see below) is a city in southern France, the prefecture of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the Provence region, it is located on the coast of the Mediterranean S ...
, and acquired a
Gascogne-accent, which was noted when the returned to Paris. In 1679, she was engaged at Bourgogne by recommendation of the
duc de Vivonne and the
duchesse de Nevers to replace
Mademoiselle Champmeslé, who had left the theatre for the
Hôtel de Guénégaud. She played tragedienne with success and Bellonde of the Bourgogne was compared with Champmesle of the Guénégaud until the two theatres were united in the
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...
in 1680.
After this, she gradually came to act only as the replacement of Champmesle, and playing the second and third roles of tragedies.
References
External links
* Cavaillé Fabien, Louvat-Molozay Bénédicte, « Les compétences linguistiques des comédiens professionnels au XVIIe siècle », Littératures classiques, 2015/2 (N° 87), p. 317-332. DOI : 10.3917/licla1.087.0317. URL : https://www.cairn.info/revue-litteratures-classiques-2015-2-page-317.htm
1650s births
1716 deaths
17th-century French actresses
French stage actresses
{{France-stage-actor-stub