Virginie Déjazet

Who was Virginie Déjazet?

Pauline Virginie Déjazet was a French actress.

She was born in Paris, and made her first appearance on the stage at the age of five. It was not until 1820, when she began her seven years' connexion with the recently founded Gymnase, that she won her triumphs in soubrette and "breeches" parts, which came to be known as "Dejazets." From 1828 she played at the Théatre des Nouveautés for three years, then at the Théâtre des Variétés, and finally became manager, with her son, of the Folies-Déjazet, later renamed the Théâtre Déjazet. Here, even at the age of sixty-five, she had marvellous success in youthful parts, especially in a number of Sardou's earlier plays, previously unacted. She retired in 1868, but took a touring company to London's Opera Comique in October 1870.

She died in 1875 in Belleville, Paris, leaving a great name in the annals of the French stage.

See Duval's Virginie Dejazet.