Jean-Gaspard Deburau

Edward Nye (University of Oxford)

Ed. by Síofra Pierse, University College Dublin, Jenny Mander, University of Cambridge
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.04: French Writing and Culture: Eighteenth-Century and the Enlightenment, 1700-1800.
Vol. editors: Edward Forman (University of Bristol), Jenny Mander (University of Cambridge), Síofra Pierse (University College Dublin), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

Born 31 Jul 1796
Died 17 Jun 1845

Places

Born in Czech Republic
Active in France

Activities

Primary

Theatre actor

Resources

Jean-Gaspard Deburau (‘Jean-Baptiste’, ‘Debureau’, ‘Déburaux’, ‘Debureaux’, ‘Desbureaux’, stage name ‘Baptiste’), was born on July 31 1796 (?), in Kolín (?), Kingdom of Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic), and died in Paris on June 17, 1846. Deburau was the most famous mime actor of the nineteenth century. Given that it is his version of the Pierrot role which is the root of all other Pierrot roles since (whether they are consciously different or slavish imitations), one might say that he is the most influential mime actor of all time, possibly second only to Marcel Marceau (who, himself, acknowledged Deburau’s influence). Yet there was so much …

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2852 words

Citation: Nye, Edward. "Jean-Gaspard Deburau". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 September 2019 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14412, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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