René Fauchois (31 August 1882 â€" 10 February 1962) was a French
dramatist, librettist and actor. Stagestruck from his youth he moved
from his native Rouen to Paris as a teenager to pursue a stage career.
He had early success both as an actor and as a playwright. Among those
with whom he collaborated as his career flourished were Sarah
Bernhardt and Sacha Guitry. His career lasted for more than sixty
years, and his output was prolific.As a librettist Fauchois is
probably best known for writing the "poème lyrique" for Fauré's
Pénélope (1913). His best-known play is Prenez garde à la peinture
(1932), a comedy of bourgeois avarice, adapted for US and British
stage and screen as The Late Christopher Bean. His 1919 comedy Boudu
sauvé des eaux has been filmed in both French and English.Fauchois
was born in Rouen to a family of modest means.[1] He was educated at
the state schools of the city, the école maternelle, école communale
and école primaire supérieure. He sang in the choir of a local
church, where he developed a strong interest in ritual and
religion.[1] Determined on a theatrical career he moved to Paris as a
young man, enrolling as a student at the Conservatoire national de
musique et de déclamation. He supported himself by selling newspapers
and working as a prompter at the Théâtre de l'Å'uvre.[1]While still
a student Fauchois had his first play produced. This was Le Roi des
Juifs, a verse drama in five acts, which the Théâtre de l’Å'uvre
staged in 1899.[1] The following year he successfully auditioned for a
small role in Edmond Rostand's play L'Aiglon, presented by and
starring Sarah Bernhardt.[1] From this beginning he made a successful
career as an actor, appearing in several more productions with
Bernhardt and with Mounet-Sully. He was a versatile actor, capable of
playing tragic classical heroes or modern light comedy leads.[1]
dramatist, librettist and actor. Stagestruck from his youth he moved
from his native Rouen to Paris as a teenager to pursue a stage career.
He had early success both as an actor and as a playwright. Among those
with whom he collaborated as his career flourished were Sarah
Bernhardt and Sacha Guitry. His career lasted for more than sixty
years, and his output was prolific.As a librettist Fauchois is
probably best known for writing the "poème lyrique" for Fauré's
Pénélope (1913). His best-known play is Prenez garde à la peinture
(1932), a comedy of bourgeois avarice, adapted for US and British
stage and screen as The Late Christopher Bean. His 1919 comedy Boudu
sauvé des eaux has been filmed in both French and English.Fauchois
was born in Rouen to a family of modest means.[1] He was educated at
the state schools of the city, the école maternelle, école communale
and école primaire supérieure. He sang in the choir of a local
church, where he developed a strong interest in ritual and
religion.[1] Determined on a theatrical career he moved to Paris as a
young man, enrolling as a student at the Conservatoire national de
musique et de déclamation. He supported himself by selling newspapers
and working as a prompter at the Théâtre de l'Å'uvre.[1]While still
a student Fauchois had his first play produced. This was Le Roi des
Juifs, a verse drama in five acts, which the Théâtre de l’Å'uvre
staged in 1899.[1] The following year he successfully auditioned for a
small role in Edmond Rostand's play L'Aiglon, presented by and
starring Sarah Bernhardt.[1] From this beginning he made a successful
career as an actor, appearing in several more productions with
Bernhardt and with Mounet-Sully. He was a versatile actor, capable of
playing tragic classical heroes or modern light comedy leads.[1]
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