The company of actors is the oldest in the western world.
It dates back to 1680, when it grew out of the merging of
Molière's company of
actors, which performed at the Hôtel de Guénégaud, and
the company that performed at the Hôtel de Bourgogne.
The statutes of the Comédie-Française make provision
for up to 70 actors.Today, the
company of actors consists of 37 shareholding members and 26 contracted actors.
Gathered together by notarial deed
within the Société des Comédiens-Français (Company of
Comédiens-Français), the shareholding members play an
active role in the life of the theatre, and every year
elect some of their members to sit on the Executive Committee. Those elected are consulted on the most
important decisions governing the theatre, and each
person takes turns for being on duty for a week. This
means that he or she attends every performance for a
week, checking that each one goes well, and takes
decisions should anything need rectifying.
Shareholding members and contracted actors have to devote
all their professional activity to the
Comédie-Française. However, with prior permission from
the Managing Director, they may be given time off to take part in
films, television programmes or plays outside Paris. They
may also, exceptionally, be allowed to perform in another
National Theatre in Paris.
Below you will find the biographical
notes of all the actors who make up the Company of
Comédiens-Français today.
These are followed by the roles played by the present 21 honorary members
during their time at the Comédie-Française.
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