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Pierre Jean Baptiste Choudard Desforges

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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PIERRE JEAN BAPTISTE CHOUDARD DESFORGES (1746- (1806), French dramatist and man of letters, natural son of Dr Antoine Petit, was born in Paris on the 15th of September 1746. He was educated at the College Mazarin and the College de Beauvais, and at his father's desire began the study of medicine. Dr Petit's death left him dependent on his own resources, and after appearing on the stage of the Comedie Italienne in Paris he joined a troupe of wandering actors, whom he served in the capacity of playwright. He married an actress, and the two spent three years in St Petersburg, where they were well received. In 1782 he produced at the Comedic Italienne an adaptation of Fielding's novel with the title Tom Jones a Londres. His first great success was achieved with L'Epreuve villageoise (1785) to the music of Gretry. La Femme jalouse, a five-act comedy in verse (1785), Joconde (1790) for the music of Louis Jaden, Les Epoux divorces (1799), a comedy, and other pieces followed. Desforges was one of the first to avail himself of the new facilities afforded under the Revolution for divorce and re-marriage. The curious record of his own early indiscretions in Le Poete, ou memoires d'un homme de lettres ecrits par lui -meme (4 vols., 1798) is said to have been undertaken at the request of Madame Desforges. He died in Paris on the 13th of August 1806.