Miss Montansier
See also: Brownish
Marguerite Brunet known as Miss Montansier is a Comédienne and French director of theater , born with Bayonne the December 19th 1730 and died in Paris the July 13rd 1820.
Being itself flees at fourteen years of the house of the Ursulines of Bordeaux where it was in pension to engage in a troop of actors, it embarks for America for the beautiful eyes of a young actor before becoming the mistress of Burson, Intendant of the Martinique, and being established commercial mode with Saint-Domingue. Of return to Paris, it settles in an aunt by marriage, Mrs. Montansier, commercial of mode from which it borrows her name. It opens a living room of plays street Saint-Honore, attended by the young jet set what enables him to make its entry in the high society.
Having obtained thanks to its connection with the marquis of Saint-Contest the direction of a small theater street Satory with Versailles, it draws the attention of the queen Mayor-Antoinette and takes down in 1775 the privilege of the balls and spectacles of Versailles, followed into 1977 of that of the theaters of Fontainebleau, Saint-Cloud, Marly, Compiegne, Rouen, Caen, Orleans, Nantes and Le Havre. Strong of these supports, it makes build in Versailles its first theater - known as " street of Réservoirs" and soon renamed " Theater Montansier " - that it inaugurates the November 18th 1777 in the presence of Louis XVI and of the queen.
She benefits from the Revolution to settle in Paris in 1890 in company of her lover, the actor Honore Bourdon known as " of Neuville" , and to take possession of the Theater of the Beaujolais wines, under the arcades of the Palais Royal. After large work of restoration, the inauguration takes place on April 12th, 1790 with the Dissatisfied Husbands , opera in four acts of Dubuisson and Storace. Successively renamed " Montansier" theater; , " Theater of the Peristyle of the Egalité" Garden; , " Theater of Montagne" , " Varieties-Montansier" and finally quite simply " Variétés" , it will direct it until 1806. Always holder of the privileges of the Court from now on installed with Tileries, it makes successfully represent Italian operas in French version, attracting herself the jealousies of the guards of the Royal Académie of Music, exiled with the Porte Saint Martin's day.
According to the armies of Dumouriez in the Austrian Netherlands with 85 artists and employees of his theater, it attends the battle of Jemmapes then takes the direction of the troop of the Théâtre of the Currency of Brussels in January 1793 and " renames it; Actors of the Republic française". It regains Paris in March, at the time of the fold of the French troops and the restoration of the Austrian government, and makes build the " Theater-National" , rue de la Loi (act. Louvois public garden) which it inaugurates the August 15th. Imprisoned the 25 Brumaire (November 15th) by the Terror under pretext of have received funds of the English and the Queen or to have wanted to put fire at the close National library, the troop of singer-actors whom it created melts in that of the " Theater-Français" suburb Saint-Germain and the room passes under the control of the Opéra (it will be destroyed in 1820 in reprisals with the assassination of the duke of Berry).
Declared innocent, it is released ten months later and obtains brave fight of broad financial equalizations. She marries of Neuville the September 5th 1799 (at almost 70 years!) then creates in 1801 with the Olympic Theater, street of the Victoire, a new troop of Italian singers called " Opera-Buffa" and quickly called " Italiens". The regime change is however far from him to be favorable: transferred room Favart in 1802, the troop is placed under the direction of Louis-Benoit Picard in 1804. The year 1803 is even more painful: whereas Marguerite is imprisoned a few weeks for debts, of Neuville dies.
Obliged by decree to leave the Palais Royal in 1806 (the close Actors of the Com3edie fran1caise finding that it carries shade to them) but always untiring, it tears off with Napoleon the authorization to build a new theater Montmartre boulevard and this, in spite of a decree limiting from now on the number of Parisian rooms to 8.
It transfers to it its Variétés and the June 24th 1807, All-Paris attends the first representation of the Panorama of Momus , light comedy of Marc-Antoine Désaugiers. Being connected successes - as well as the cabals - it delegate the direction to the Brownish actor Mira and peacefully die out on July 13rd, 1820 at 90 years.
A comedy in four acts and a prolog of of Flers and Caillavet, created in 1904 with the Gaîté by Réjane, pay homage to him: Montansier .
See too
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