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Benoit Constant Coquelin
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
or BENOIT CONSTANT COQUELIN (1841-1909), French actor, known as Coquelin aine, was born at Boulogne on the 23rd of January 1841. He was originally intended to follow his father's trade of baker (he was once called un boulanger manqué by a hostile critic), but his love of acting led him to the Conservatoire, where he entered Regnier's class in 1859. He won the first prize for comedy within a year, and made his debut on the 7th of December 1860 at the Comedie Frangaise as the comic valet, Gros-Rene, in Moliere's Depit amoureux, but his first great success was as Figaro, in the following year. He was made societaire in 1864, and during the next twenty-two years he created at the Frangais the leading parts in forty-four new plays, including Theodore de Banville's Gringoire (1867), Paul Ferrier's Tabarin (1871), Emile Augier's Paul Forestier (1871), L'Etrangere (1876) by the younger Dumas, Charles Lomon's Jean Dacier (1877), Edward Pailleron's Le Monde oil l'on s'ennuie (1881), Erckmann and Chatrian's Les Rantzau (1884). In consequence of a dispute with the authorities over the question of his right to make provincial tours in France he resigned in 1886. Three years later, however, the breach was healed; and after a successful series of tours in Europe and the United States he rejoined the Comedie Frangaise as pensionnaire in 1890. It was during this period that he took the part of Labussiere, in the production of Sardou's Thermidor, which was interdicted by the government after three performances. In 1892 he broke definitely with the Comedie Frangaise, and toured for some time through the capitals of Europe with a company of his own. In 1895 he joined the Renaissance theatre in Paris, and played there until he became director of the Porte Saint Martin in 1897. Here he won successes in Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac (1897), Emile Bergerat's Plus que refine (1899), Catulle Mendes' Scarron (1905), and Alfred Capus and Lucien Descaves' L'Attentat (1906). In 1900 he toured in America with Sarah Bernhardt, and on their return continued with his old colleague to appear in L'Aiglon, at the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt. He was rehearsing for the creation of the leading part in Rostand's Chantecler, which he was to produce, when he died suddenly in Paris, on the 27th of January 1909. Coquelin was an Officier de l'Instruction Publique and of the Legion of Honour. He published L'Art et le comedien (1880), Moliere et le misanthrope (1881), essays on Eugene Manuel (1881) and Sully-Prudhomme (1882), L'Arnolphe de Moliere (1882), Les Comediens (1882), L'Art de dire le monologue (with his brother, 1884), Tartuffe (1884), L'Art du comedien (1894).
His brother, Ernest Alexandre HONORfi Coquelin (1848-1909), called Coquelin cadet, was born on the 16th of May 18 4 8 at Boulogne, and entered the Conservatoire in 1864. He graduated with the first prize in comedy and made his debut in 1867 at the Odeon. The next year he appeared with his brother at the Theatre Frangais and became a societaire in 1879. He played a great many parts, in both the classic and the modern repertoire, and also had much success in reciting monologues of his own composition. He wrote Le Livre des convalescents (1880), Le Monologue moderne (1881), Fairiboles (1882), Le Rire (1887), Pirouettes (1888). He died on the 8th of February 1909.
JEAN COQUELIN (1865-), son of Coquelin ' lin g , was also an actor, first at the Theatre Frangais (debut, 1890), later at the Renaissance, and then at the Porte Saint Martin, where he created the part of Raigone in Cyrano de Bergerac.
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Chisholm, Hugh, General Editor. Entry for 'Benoit Constant Coquelin'. 1911 Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/bri/b/benoit-constant-coquelin.html. 1910.
