Hôtel de Bourgogne (theatre)
The Confrérie performed farce and secular dramas, but lacking great success, began renting the theatre to itinerant acting companies, including Italian commedia dell'arte troupes, who introduced the characters Harlequin and Pantalone, as well as burlesque.
Rival companies arose presenting satire and other types of comedy, and finding that these groups were attracting larger audiences than their own, the Confrérie responded by adding comic scenes and burlesques to their religious mysteries.
Although not used in England, the custom of multiple settings was adapted at the Bourgogne "in a cramped and curved indoor version which forced the actors to declaim downstage.
[7] By the end of the 16th century, the Confrérie's audience for farces and secular drama had declined, and they began to rent the theatre to itinerant, French and foreign theatrical troupes.
[9] Agnan Sarat appeared there as early as 1578, and the English company of Jean Thays is believed to have been at the Bourgogne twenty years later.
[12] Because of frequent money problems, Valleran's group could only appear intermittently at the Hôtel de Bourgogne and often toured the provinces.
Montdory had previously appeared with Valleran's company in 1612 and would later join with Charles Lenoir in 1634 to found the Théâtre du Marais.
The appearances of the Prince of Orange's troupe at the Bourgogne produced conflicts with the Comédiens du Roi, and the latter sometimes resorted to playing outside the theatre, blocking the public from entering to see their competitors.
Nevertheless, under the leadership of Bellerose the troupe became the recipient of royal patronage and began to produce plays that had been introduced at the Marais.
Concerned about the future, the troupe at the Bourgogne quickly added two new actors, Hauteroche (Noël Breton) and Belleroche/Crispin (Raymond Poisson).
[19] Further competition ensued in 1665, when both companies produced different comedies with the same title, La Mère coquette: Molière's text was by Donneau de Visé and the Bourgogne's, by Philippe Quinault.
Louis XIV saw the play as a satirical attack on his mistress Madame de Maintenon and ordered the Italians to return to Italy.
[21] After Louis' death in 1715, the Italians were invited back to France by the regent Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, and performed at the Palais-Royal from 18 May 1716 until the Hôtel de Bourgogne had been renovated.
They returned to the Bourgogne later that year and continued to perform there until 1762, when the company was merged with the Opéra-Comique of the Théâtre de la Foire.
The combined company opened at the Bourgogne on 3 February 1762 and continued to perform in the theatre until 4 April 1783, after which they moved to the new Salle Favart.
