Jean Anouilh

Jean Anouilh

French playwright
Date of Birth: 23.06.1910
Country: France

Content:
  1. Biography of Jean Anouilh
  2. Early Life and Education
  3. Writing Career and Success
  4. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Jean Anouilh

Jean Anouilh was a French playwright, screenwriter, and prominent figure in 20th-century French literature. He was born on June 23, 1910, in a small village near Bordeaux, to a tailor and a violinist. Anouilh was of Basque descent.

Early Life and Education

At the age of 15, Jean Anouilh moved to Paris, where he completed his schooling. After finishing school, he briefly studied law at the Sorbonne while also writing short humorous screenplays for films. In 1928, he married actress Monelle Valentin. In the early 1930s, Anouilh worked as a secretary for director Louis Jouvet.

Writing Career and Success

Anouilh wrote his first play, "The Ermine," in 1932, and from then until 1960, he wrote a play almost every year. His breakthrough came in 1937 when his play "Journey Without Luggage" was staged in Paris. Following World War II, Anouilh gained international popularity. He also wrote screenplays for several films, including "Monsieur Vincent" (1947) and "The Little Molière" (1959).

Later Years and Legacy

Jean Anouilh passed away in 1987 at the age of 77 in his home in Lausanne. His plays continue to be performed worldwide, and some of them have been staged in Russian theaters, such as "Antigone," which was performed at the Moscow Art Theatre in 2001. Some of his notable works include "The Ermine" (1932), "Journey Without Luggage" (1937), "Antigone" (1943), and "Ornifle, or the Reshuffled Cards" (1956).

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