Comédie-Française

The Comédie-Française is France’s national repertory theatre, founded in 1680 through the merger of Parisian acting companies. Its resident troupe maintains a rotating repertoire of French drama, especially works by Molière.

Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française: Senior members of the Comédie-Française troupe who hold shares in the institution and help govern its artistic life. Their shared ownership and governance make the resident company more than a roster of hired performers.
French royal theatre: The system of theatrical institutions and patronage maintained by the French monarchy. Royal authority shaped the company’s founding and its privileged position in Parisian theatre.
Sarah Bernhardt: A French stage actress celebrated for her expressive performances and international fame. Her conflict with the company and departure in 1880 marked a major break in its history.
French neoclassical theatre: A seventeenth-century French dramatic tradition emphasizing decorum, genre rules, and classical models. Its dramatic conventions shaped many works central to the company’s early repertoire.
French language: A Romance language originating in France and spoken worldwide. Its repertory and performances have helped keep canonical French drama audible across generations.
Pensionnaires of the Comédie-Française: Actors employed by the Comédie-Française who have not yet become sociétaires. They form the troupe’s junior tier and may later be elected sociétaires.
Hôtel de Bourgogne: A Paris theatre long associated with the actors who formed the Comédie-Française’s founding company. Its troupe joined Molière’s former company in the merger that established the institution.
Jean-Baptiste Racine: A French dramatist whose tragedies include Phèdre, Andromaque, and Britannicus. His tragedies became enduring pillars of the company’s classical repertoire.
Alexandrine: A French poetic line of twelve syllables, widely used in classical tragedy and drama. Performers must shape its rhythm and caesura to make verse drama clear and compelling.
French cultural policy: Public principles and programs through which France supports and shapes cultural life. The theatre’s national status makes it a lasting example of state involvement in the arts.

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