Talma, François Joseph (1763 – 1826) – the famous French actor. Received an excellent education.
His father, a dentist, wanted to give her son his profession, which Talma one time he did. In his spare time he played on the small stage, and in 1787 successfully made his debut at Comedie Franeaise in Voltaire's play "Mahomet" and was soon adopted by a number of soseterov (shareholders) of the theater.
In the age-old tradition of actors playing characters of different nationalities and ages in the rich of contemporary dresses, Greeks and Romans were in silk and velvet, in powdered wigs. In half of the XVIII century. Leken actor and actress Kleron rebelled against this absurdity, but could not defeat the force of habit.
Talma insisted that the stage costumes of ancient and foreign nations were strictly copied from the ancient statues, coins and medals. When he once appeared in a suit on him from all sides poured ridicule. One actress cried out: "Why, you are the statue!"; Another actor said: "I do not sheet if you assume instead threw on a suit?"
Talma stubbornly continued to defend his view, the way in the article: "Reflexions sur Lekain et sur l'art theutral". The same truth Talma tried to make, and in diction, condemning the excessive and false recitation. Approaching revolutionary era. On the scene was supposed to produce the play Marie-Joseph Chénier: "Charles IX, or the school of kings", crowded protests against abuse and oppression of power.
The main actors deviated from the role of Charles, the monarch's killer, not wishing to appear before the public in such a nasty person. Talma took a role to play, presented Charles pathetic weapon in the hands of his mother and showed so much suffering from remorse, that his talent was first appreciated fully. The play was a huge success, to the displeasure of much of the old actors' troupe.
Accustomed to the royal regime, they are not sympathetic to new ideas and did not want to help them spread. Talma, conversely, surrendered to the revolutionary trend. After a 30-second presentation of the drama "Charles IX", that it was removed from the repertoire, which caused a strong stimulation, it came to a duel between Talma and the actor node. The play resumed, but the struggle continued: Talma and many other actors left the theater and established its own in the building Paleroyalya in the Rue Richelieu.
Thus the French theater collapsed: the former, under the name of the theater of the Nation, put protivorevolyutsionnye play ("other law"). The revolutionary government closed the theater and the actors put him in prison, they were saved from execution only because of a petty official "committee of public safety", destroying their papers.
Theatre in the Rue Richelieu took the name "Theatre of liberty, equality and fraternity", and then Theatre of the Republic. After the fall of Robespierre, the remnants of the two troupes joined in the theater Rue de Richelieu, who since then and until today there continues to exist.
During the reaction Talma had to justify before the public, stating their disapproval of terrorism. Napoleon, I knew he was still poor officer who lent him money, but then he knew how to be respectful to the emperor, and this earned him a permanent favor. After restoration Talma remained the same artist.
Listening to praise and encourage King Louis XVIII, he stood aloof from politics, which affected and an intimate of his life. Talma was twice married, first to the intelligent and wealthy aristocrat Julie Caro, carried away by liberal ideas and talent of the young artist. Her salon was visited by many literary and political celebrities of the time.
Subsequently, Talma with her divorced and married a young actress Wang (Vanhove), who fainted from fear at Erfurt, where her husband was there in front of the assembled monarchs speak revolutionary poetry of the drama: "The Death of Caesar." Dying, Talma not allowed to own archbishop, who wanted to prepare him, and he remembered how his whole life clergy disliked the actors.
Sons of the actor, raised in a Catholic school, were not allowed to receive commemorative medals they deserve just because their father was an actor. This prompted the latter to transfer the sons of the Protestant school.
Talma had a wonderful scenic data, beautiful, graceful appearance and extremely pleasant, flexible voice.He is considered a converter of French performing arts not only in the atmosphere, but also in performance, which he tried to do in life, free from routine and stilted declamation.
The best of his roles are Zinna, Nero, Orestes, Achilles, Oedipus, Herod, Caesar, Manlius, Charles IX, Leicester, Othello and Hamlet (in reshaping Dyusisa).