Hi friends, welcome to February’s MicroBiog. This month we’re in eighteenth century France with female playwright Marie-Anne Barbier.
? Her first play was written 1702. A tragedy called ‘Arrie et Petus’.
? Barbier followed this with more tragedies: ‘Cornélie, mère des Gracques’ in 1703; ‘Tomyris, Reine des MaiTagetes’ 1707 and ‘La Mort de César’ in 1709.
? 1719 saw her one act comedy ‘Le Faucon’.
? It was common practice for a mentor to help playwrights, both male and female, get their work produced, in the case of women writers their work was often attributed to him. Barbier’s work was championed by the abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin, and he is often viewed as her collaborator or co-writer.
? As well as plants Barbier also wrote two operas (‘Fêtes de l’été’ and ‘Le Jugement de Pâris’) a ballet (‘Les Plaisirs de la campagne’) and published a literary periodical ‘Saisons littéraires’ containing theatre reviews.
Her Full Stats: Born either in 1670 or on the 21st January 1664 in Orléans, France.
Died in 1745 in Paris.
