La Comédie-Française (1756-1763)

La comédie-française (1756-1763). At this point in the middle of the 18th century, the Comédie-Française is still the centre of theatrical life. The company, which is excellent, includes famous actors, but it is also turbulent and undisciplined. Kept tightly on the leash by royal authority, the actors also suffer from being excluded by the Church. The financial situation is bad : the costs of upkeep and production (orchestra, ballet) are considerable, the management is muddled. The company, in debt, strives for draconian economies. Apart from the inauguration of famous plays by Voltaire, Palissot, Diderot, Sedaine, the decade is marked by two important facts : the 1757 regulation which, with two accompanying decrees, gives the Comédie-Française its present-day appearance ; the removal of seats on the stage, in 1759, which will lead to a modification in the way plays are produced.Blanc André. La Comédie-Française (1756-1763). In: Dix-huitième Siècle, n°13, 1981. Juifs et judaïsme. pp. 210-221