Adrienne Lecouvreur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adrienne Lecouvreur
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Portrait of Lecouvreur (ca. 1725), by anonymous artist, based on her first appearance at the Comédie-Française, and located in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Châlons-en-Champagne
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Adrienne Couvreur
5 April 1692 Damery, Champagne, France
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| Died | 20 March 1730 (aged 37) |
| Nationality | French |
| Partner(s) | Maurice de Saxe |
Adrienne Lecouvreur (born Adrienne Couvreur, April 5, 1692 – March 20, 1730) was a famous French actress. Many people thought she was the best actress of her time.
She was born in Damery, France. Her first professional acting job was in Lille. After she first performed in Paris at the Comédie-Française in 1717, she became very popular. She and actor Michel Baron helped create a more natural way of acting. This was different from the very formal style used before.
Adrienne Lecouvreur was known for her acting and her new style. She was also remembered for her connection with Maurice de Saxe. Her death was a mystery. Some people thought she was poisoned, but this has never been proven.
Her life story has inspired many writers, composers, and poets. The Catholic Church refused to give her a Christian burial. This upset her friend Voltaire, who wrote a poem about it.
Contents
Her Life Story
Early Years
Adrienne Lecouvreur was born on April 5, 1692. She grew up in the village of Damery in France. Her father, Robert Couvreur, was a hat maker. He moved his family to Paris, hoping to find better work.
After her mother, Marie Couvreur, passed away, Adrienne and her sister Marie Marguerite had to learn to take care of themselves. Young Adrienne loved watching rehearsals at the Comédie-Française. She also joined a private theater group that met in a grocery store.
This group performed a play called Polyeucte. Adrienne Lecouvreur played the role of Pauline. Marc-Antoine Legrand, a famous actor from the Comédie-Française, saw her perform. He was very impressed and became her teacher. Legrand also told her to add "le" to her name, making it Lecouvreur.
Starting Her Career
By age 14, Adrienne was already touring as an actress. Her first public shows were in Lille. The theater director, Mademoiselle Fonpré, quickly saw Adrienne's talent. Soon after her first shows, Adrienne began playing important roles like tragic queens and princesses.
Her next acting jobs were in Lunéville, the capital of Lorraine. During this time, she had a daughter named Elisabeth-Adrienne. Her daughter's father was Philippe Le Roy, an officer. Adrienne was also engaged to a man she called "Baron D." in her writings. Sadly, he died in an accident before they could marry.
Moving to Strasbourg
After Baron D.'s death, Adrienne Lecouvreur left Lunéville. She signed a contract with another theater in Strasbourg. This theater was also supported by the Duke of Lorraine.
This was a very successful time for her. In Strasbourg, she met a young man named Count François de Klinglin. He was the son of the city's chief judge. After many months, they announced their engagement. However, Adrienne became pregnant with her second child. The judge threatened to disinherit his son if he married her. So, the engagement was called off.
Adrienne earned a good income in Strasbourg. But she also spent a lot of money on her costumes and jewelry. Actresses of her status were expected to look very grand. After Klinglin's arranged marriage, Adrienne had two children to support. She could no longer afford to live in Strasbourg.
In 1716, when she was 24, she moved to Paris. In 1717, she received an important letter. It asked her to join the Comédie-Française. The letter said the King's theater group should invite her to perform a play of her choice. This was to see how talented she was.
Success in Paris
Adrienne Lecouvreur chose to perform in Electre by Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon and George Dandin by Molière. Her first performance on stage was a surprise. She wore a simple, white satin Greek robe. This was very different from the fancy, heavily decorated gowns and tall headdresses that were common then. Her acting style was also new. She did not use the artificial, exaggerated gestures that other actors used.
In her first year (1717), she performed in many plays. These included works by Corneille and Racine. She also played Zenobia in Crébillon's play. In 1718, she performed in Sertorius and Bajazet. That season, she gave 139 performances. This was a huge number for a new actress. It was the most she would ever do in one season.
Her Acting Style
Adrienne Lecouvreur was one of the first actresses to use a more natural and realistic acting style. She and actor Michel Baron wanted acting to sound more like everyday speech. Before them, actors often used a singing-like, formal way of speaking.
A writer named Pierre-François Godard de Beauchamps wrote to her. He said she brought a new, gentle, and emotional feeling to the stage. He praised her for showing the beauty of simplicity. Charles Collé also noted how Adrienne Lecouvreur connected the audience directly to the character. He said, "She shows all the details of a role and makes us forget the actress. We see nothing but the character she plays."
Lecouvreur also used this natural style in her costumes. In her time, actresses usually wore very fancy dresses. These dresses showed the latest fashions and had elaborate feathered hats. But for her first show at the Comédie-Française, Lecouvreur wore a simple Greek tunic in white satin. She wore this to play Electre.
Her Legacy
Adrienne Lecouvreur's life has inspired many works of art. A famous play from 1849, Adrienne Lecouvreur, was written by Scribe and Legouvé. This play then inspired Francesco Cilea's opera Adriana Lecouvreur. An operetta called Adrienne (1926) by Walter Goetze was also based on her story.
Before these, in 1856, Edoardo Vera created his opera Adriana Lecouvreur e la duchessa di Bouillon. In 1913, the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt played Adrienne in a silent movie called Adrienne Lecouvreur. In 1928, MGM Studios made a film called Dream of Love. This movie was also based on the Scribe and Legouvé play. It starred Joan Crawford and Nils Asther. At least six more films have been made about her life, including Adrienne Lecouvreur (1938).
Images for kids
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Portrait of Lecouvreur (ca. 1725)
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Lecouvreur as Cornelia in The Death of Pompey
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A painting inspired by Adriana Lecouvreur
