Eugène Marin Labiche (1815–88) was a French playwright known for his comic farces and vaudeville plays, capturing 19th-century bourgeois absurdities. His works, blending sharp wit, fast-paced action, and social satire, remain classics of French theater.
Born in Paris, he studied law but soon turned to writing and theater. His early success came with Monsieur de Coislin (1838,) co-written with Marc-Michel, launching his prolific career.
Labiche’s best-known works include Le Chapeau de paille d’Italie (1851, The Italian Straw Hat,) a farce inspiring René Clair’s 1927 film; Le Voyage de M. Perrichon (1860, The Journey of Mr. Perrichon😉 La Poudre aux yeux (1861, The Bluff😉 and La Cagnotte (1864, The Jackpot.) His plays humorously expose middle-class folly.
He published Théâtre complet (1878–83, Complete Works,) a 10-volume collection of his plays. In 1880, he was elected to the Académie Française for his contributions to French literature.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Eugene Labiche
It is not the services we render them, but the services they render us, that attaches people to us.
—Eugene Labiche
Topics: Friendship
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