Pol Mercier, real name Jean-Étienne-Polydore Mercier (25 April 1819 – 11 May 1874) was a 19th-century French

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

and

librettist A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major ...

. He was born and died in

Rochefort, Charente-Maritime Rochefort (; ), unofficially Rochefort-sur-Mer (; ) for disambiguation, is a city and communes of France, commune in Southwestern France, a port on the Charente (river), Charente estuary. It is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Cha ...

. His

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

were presented on the most significant Parisian stages of his time including the Folies-nouvelles, the Théâtre de l'Odéon, 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 ...

, and the

Théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés () is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History The theatre owed its creation to Mademoiselle Montans ...

Works

*1846: ''Un Nuage au ciel'',

comédie en vaudevilles The ''comédie en vaudevilles'' () was a theatrical entertainment which began in Paris towards the end of the 17th century, in which comedy was enlivened through lyrics using the melody of popular vaudeville (song), vaudeville songs.Barnes 2001. ...

in 1 act, with Jean-François-Alfred Bayard *1850: ''Freluchette'',

opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular ''opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Théâtre de la foire, Fair Theatres of St Germain and S ...

in one act *1851: ''Christian et Marguerite'', comedy in 1 act, in verse, with

Édouard Fournier Édouard Fournier (15 June 1819, Orléans – 10 May 1880, Paris) was a French homme de lettres, playwright, historian, bibliographer and librarian. Biography Born into a locksmiths artist family, he studied at the Collège d'Orléans then ...

*1852: ''Méridien'', one-act comédie en vaudevilles, with Clairville and

Raymond Deslandes Raymond Deslandes, called Raimond Deslandes, (12 July 182523 March 1890) was a 19th-century French journalist, playwright and theater manager. He wrote, alone or in collaboration (particularly with Eugène Labiche), numerous comedies. He also di ...

*1853: ''Le Roman du village'', one-act comedy in verse, with Fournier *1855: ''Biribi'', pantomime, foreword by

Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...

*1855: ''Le Chevrier blanc'', conte-pantomime

extravaganza An extravaganza is a literary or musical work (often musical theatre) usually containing elements of Victorian burlesque, and pantomime, in a spectacular production and characterized by freedom of style and structure. The term is derived from th ...

in 5 tableaux, with

Paul Legrand Paul Legrand (; January 4, 1816 – April 16, 1898), born Charles-Dominique-Martin Legrand, was a highly regarded and influential French Mime artist, mime who turned the Pierrot of his predecessor, Jean-Gaspard Deburau, into the tearful, sentimen ...

*1855: ''La Sœur de Pierrot'', mimodrama extravaganza in 5 tableaux, with Legrand *1855: ''La Sœur grise !'', scène lyrique, music by

Édouard Montaubry Jean Baptiste Édouard Montaubry (27 March 1824 – 12 February 1883) was a French violinist, conductor, tenor and composer. He was the brother of the tenor Achille-Félix Montaubry (1826-1898). Bibliography * Erik Kocevar: "Jean-Baptiste-Éd ...

*1857: ''Le Calfat'',

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

*1857: ''Ce Scélérat de Poireau !'', one-act comédie en vaudevilles, with Clairville and

Amédée de Jallais Amédée de Jallais (17 December 1826 – 31 January 1909) was a 19th-century French playwright, operetta librettist and chansonnier. Biography The son of a lieutenant colonel in the guards, he studied at the College Bourbon then entered in th ...

*1857: ''Le Gardien des scellés'', one-act comédie en vaudevilles, with Clairville and de Jallais *1857: ''Triolet'', one-act comédie en vaudevilles, with Clairville *1859: ''Le Diable rose'', play with ariettes in 1 act, with Fournier *1860: ''Un Troupier qui suit les bonnes'', 3-act comédie en vaudeville, with Clairville and Léon Morand *1862: ''Le Paradis trouvé'', comedy in 1 act, in verse, with Fournier *1863: ''Le Chagrin de Marie'', romance *1863: ''Les Trois Normandes'', opérette bouffe in 1 act, with Frédéric Barbier (music) *1864: ''Les Cochers de Paris'', popular play in 3 acts and 4 tableaux, with Clairville and Morand *1864: ''Le Pavillon des amours'', one-act comédie en vaudevilles, with Henri Vernier *1864: ''Deux permissions de dix heures'', operetta in 1 act, with Henry Currat and Frédéric Barbier (music), 1864 *1864: ''Les Trois Berrichons'', vaudeville in 1 act

Bibliography

* Georges d'Heylli, ''Dictionnaire des Pseudonymes'', 1868, 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights French librettists People from Rochefort, Charente-Maritime 1819 births 1874 deaths {{France-playwright-stub