Benjamin Antier

Antier, Benjamin

French playwright (1787-1870). Autograph letter signed,. N. p. o. d. 12mo. 1 p.
$ 378 / 350 € (88512/BN58374)

To an actress, addressed as "Ma belle Comédienne", concerning the receipt of a theatre administration: "Le renouvellement est fait. Je vous envoie le reçu, pour lequel vous verrez que vous devez quinze francs cinquante à l'adm.on. J'en ai fait l'avance pour ne pas changer l'époque du renouvellement. Je regrette bien de ne pas m'être trouvé à mon cabinet lorsque vous avez pris la peine de vous y présenter. Dorénavant, lorsque vous devrez venir, ayez le soin de me prévenir par un mot [...]".

- Based on the handwriting, the letter can be dated to Antier's later years. The playwright is best known for the creation of the fictional character Robert Macaire in the 1823 melodrama "L'Auberge des Adrets". Due to its failure in the opening night, Frédérick Lemaître, the actor playing Macaire, changed the character of the play to a burlesque for the second performance. Violating all conventions of the genre, "L'Auberge des Adrets" became a comic success. The character of Macaire was soon adapted as an archetypical comic villain in French theatre and film. - Well preserved..

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