Jeanne Arnould-Plessy (born Jeanne-Sylvanie-Sophie Plessy; 4 September 1819 – 30 May 1897) was a French stage actress.

Life

Jeanne-Sylvanie-Sophie Plessy was born in

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

, France, the daughter of Philippe Plessy, a local actor. She became a pupil of Samson at the

Conservatoire A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...

in 1829. Plessy made her stage debut as Emma at 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 1834 in Alexandre Duval's ''La Fille d'honneur''. She had an immense success, and

Mlle Mars Mademoiselle Mars (pseudonym of Anne Françoise Hyppolyte Boutet Salvetat; 9 February 1779 – 20 March 1847), French actress, was born in Paris, the natural daughter of the actor-author named Monvel (Jacques Marie Boutet) (1745–1812) and Jean ...

, to whom the public already compared her, took her up. Until 1845, she had prominent parts in all the plays, new and old, at the Théâtre Français, when suddenly at the height of her success, she left Paris and went to London to marry the dramatic author Auguste Jean François Arnould (1803-1854), a man much older than herself. The Comédie-Française, after having tried in vain to bring her back, brought a suit against her and obtained damages. In the meantime, Madame Arnould-Plessy accepted an engagement at the French theatre at

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

(

Mikhaylovsky Theatre The Mikhailovsky Theatre () is one of Russia's oldest opera and ballet houses. It was founded in 1833 and occupies a Brulleau-designed building on 1, Arts Square in Saint Petersburg. It is named after Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia. S ...

), where she played for nine years and was greatly appreciated by Nicholas I and the Russian aristocracy. In 1855, she returned to Paris and was re-admitted to the Comédie-Française, as pensionnaire in an engagement for eight years. This second part of her career was even more brilliant than the first. She revived some of her old roles, but her later triumphs were especially associated with new plays by

Émile Augier Guillaume Victor Émile Augier (; 17 September 182025 October 1889) was a French dramatist. He was the thirteenth member to occupy seat 1 of the on 31 March 1857. Biography Augier was born at Valence, Drôme, the grandson of Pigault Lebrun, an ...

, including ''Maître Guérin''. Her last appearance was in

Édouard Cadol Édouard Cadol (11 February 1831 – 1 June 1898) was a 19th-century French playwright and novelist. Biography An employee at Chemins de Fer du Nord, Cadol soon left his position to dedicate himself entirely to literature. He made his debut as ...

's ''La Grand-maman''; she retired in 1876, and died in 1897, aged 77.

References

Attribution: * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arnould-Plessy, Jeanne French stage actresses 1819 births 1897 deaths 19th-century French actresses Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française