Mademoiselle Dumesnil in the Role of Agrippina in Britannicus (Racine)

Marie Françoise Dumesnil (2 January 171320 February 1803), original name Marie-Françoise Marchand, was a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

actress. She was born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

, daughter of a poor nobleman, and began her stage career in the provinces, whence she was summoned in 1737 to make her debut at the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real ...

Clytemnestre Clytemnestra (; grc-gre, Κλυταιμνήστρα, ''Klytaimnḗstrā'', ), in Greek mythology, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and the twin sister of Helen of Troy. In Aeschylus' ''Oresteia'', she murders Agamemnon – said by Eu ...

in Racine's ''

Iphigénie en Aulide ''Iphigénie en Aulide'' ('' Iphigeneia in Aulis'') is an opera in three acts by Christoph Willibald Gluck, the first work he wrote for the Paris stage. The libretto was written by François-Louis Gand Le Bland Du Roullet and was based on Je ...

''. She at once came into the front rank, playing Cléopâtre,

Phèdre ''Phèdre'' (; originally ''Phèdre et Hippolyte'') is a French dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677 at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris. Composition and premiere Wi ...

Athalie ''Athalie'' (, sometimes translated ''Athalia'') is a 1691 play, the final tragedy of Jean Racine, and has been described as the masterpiece of "one of the greatest literary artists known" and the "ripest work" of Racine's genius. Charles August ...

and Hermione (tragic roles created by contemporary French

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

s) with great effect, and when she created

Merope Merope (; Greek: Μερόπη) was originally the name of several, probably unrelated, characters in Greek mythology. The name may refer to: Greek mythology * Merope (Greek myth), name of Greek mythological characters. Books and music * ''Merope'' ...

(1743),

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his '' nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

says that she kept the audience in tears for three successive acts. She retired from the stage in 1776, but lived until 1803. Her rival

La Clairon Clair Josèphe Hippolyte Leris (25 January 1723 – 29 January 1803), known as Mademoiselle Clairon or La Clairon was a French actress, born at Condé-sur-l'Escaut, Hainaut, the daughter of an army sergeant. She is primarily known for deve ...

having spoken ill of her, she authorized the publication of a ''Mémoire de Marie Françoise Dumesnil, en réponse aux mémoires d'Hippolyte Clairon'' (1800).

References

Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française Actresses from Paris 1713 births 1803 deaths 18th-century French actresses French stage actresses {{France-stage-actor-stub

See also

References