Gaston Baty (26 May 1885 – 13 October 1952), whose full name was Jean-Baptiste-Marie-Gaston Baty, was a French playwright and

theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

. He was born in Pélussin, Loire, France.

Career

In 1921, Baty formed his own company ''Les Compagnons de la Chimère'' he Companions of the Chimera^:157 which mounted productions in a variety of Parisian theatres in the 1920s and 30s.^:2 He was also a member of ''Le Cartel des Quatre'' he Cartel of Four a group of four directors in Paris who offered an alternative to both "academic and commercial theatre".^:178 His stage adaptation of

Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...

's ''

Madame Bovary ''Madame Bovary'' (; ), originally published as ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' ( ), is a novel by French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emp ...

'' was presented in an English translation on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 1937.

Constance Cummings Constance Cummings CBE (May 15, 1910 – November 23, 2005) was an American-British actress with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Cummings was born in Seattle, Washington, the only daughter and younger child of Kate Logan (née C ...

played the title role. Baty is also the author of a play entitled ''Dulcinea'', which has been filmed twice and produced on television in 1989. It is an original play that takes its inspiration from

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best kno ...

's great novel ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

'' and uses some of its characters. The second film version, made in 1963, starred

Millie Perkins Millie Perkins (born May 12, 1938) is an American film and television actress known for her debut film role as Anne Frank in ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959), and for her supporting actress roles in two 1966 Westerns, '' The Shooting'' and '' ...

Dulcinea Dulcinea del Toboso is a fictional character who is unseen in Miguel de Cervantes' novel ''Don Quijote''. Don Quijote believes he must have a lady, under the mistaken view that chivalry requires it. As he does not have one, he invents her, mak ...

, and was released in the U.S. as ''The Girl from La Mancha''. He wrote ''Vie de l'art théatral, des origines a nos jours'' in 1932 with René Chavance.

Theater director

* 1919: ''La Grande Pastorale'' by Charles Hellem and Pol d'Estoc, Cirque d'hiver

1920–1929

*1920: ''Les Esclaves'' by Saint-Georges de Bouhélier, Théâtre des Arts *1920: ''Le Simoun'' by Henri-René Lenormand, Comédie Montaigne *1921: ''

L'Avare ''The Miser'' (french: L'Avare; ; also known by the longer name ''L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge,'' meaning The Miser, or the School for Lies) is a five-act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed on September 9 ...

'' by

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...

, Comédie Montaigne *1921: '' 29 degrés à l'ombre'' by

Eugène Labiche Eugene is a common male given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (''eugenēs''), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (''eu''), "well" and γένος (''genos''), "race, stock, kin".Fernand Crommelynck Fernand Crommelynck (19 November 1886 – 17 March 1970) was a Belgian dramatist. His work is known for farces in which commonplace weaknesses are developed into monumental obsessions. Biography He was born into a family of actors, the child ...

, Comédie Montaigne *1921: ''Le Héros et le soldat'' by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

, Comédie Montaigne *1921: '' L'annonce faite à Marie'' by

Paul Claudel Paul Claudel (; 6 August 1868 – 23 February 1955) was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism. Early lif ...

, Comédie Montaigne *1921: ''Haya'' by Herman Grégoire, Comédie des Champs-Élysées *1921: ''La Belle de Haguenau'' by Jean Variot, Comédie des Champs-Élysées *1922: ''Césaire'' by Jean Schlumberger, Comédie des Champs-Élysées *1922: ''La Farce de Popa Ghéorghé'' by Adolphe Orna, Théâtre des Mathurins *1922: ''Martine'' by

Jean-Jacques Bernard Jean-Jacques Bernard (30 July 1888 – 14 September 1972) was a French playwright and the chief representative of what became known as ''l’école du silence'' or, as some critics called it, the ''art of the unexpressed'', in which the dialogue doe ...

, Théâtre des Mathurins *1922: ''Intimité'' by Jean-Victor Pellerin, Théâtre des Mathurins *1922: ''Le Voyageur'' by Denys Amiel, Baraque de la Chimère,

Saint-Germain-en-Laye Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ge ...

*1922: ''Je veux revoir ma Normandie'' by Lucien Besnard, Baraque de la Chimère, Saint-Germain-en-Laye *1922: ''Cyclone'' by

Simon Gantillon Simon Gantillon (7 January 1887 in Lyon – 9 September 1961 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a 20th-century French screenwriter and playwright. Filmography ; Screenwriter * 1932: '' Sergeant X'' by Vladimir Strizhevsky * 1938: ''Gibraltar'' by Fedor ...

, Baraque de la Chimère, Saint-Germain-en-Laye *1922: ''L'Aube et le soir de Sainte-Geneviève'' by Marie Diemer, Baraque de la Chimère, Saint-Germain-en-Laye *1923: ''La Souriante Madame Beudet'' by Denys Amiel and André Obey, Théâtre de l'Odéon *1923: ''

The Emperor Jones ''The Emperor Jones'' is a 1920 tragic play by American dramatist Eugene O'Neill that tells the tale of Brutus Jones, a resourceful, self-assured African American and a former Pullman porter, who kills another black man in a dice game, is jailed, ...

'' by

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

, Théâtre de l'Odéon *1923: ''Le Voile du souvenir'' by Henri Turpin and Pierre-Paul Fournier, Théâtre de l'Odéon *1924: ''L'Invitation au voyage'' by

, Théâtre de l'Odéon *1924: ''Le Fardeau de la liberté'' by

Tristan Bernard Tristan Bernard (7 September 1866 – 7 December 1947) was a French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer. Life He studied law, and after his military service, he started his career as the manager of an aluminium smelter. In the 1890s, ...

, Théâtre de l'Odéon *1924: ''Alphonsine'' by Paul Haurigot,

Théâtre du Vaudeville The Théâtre du Vaudeville was a theatre company in Paris. It opened on 12 January 1792 on rue de Chartres. Its directors, Piis and Barré, mainly put on "petites pièces mêlées de couplets sur des airs connus", including vaudevilles. Af ...

*1924: ''Parades'' by Thomas Gueullette,

Studio des Champs-Élysées A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design, ...

*1924: ''Maya'' by Simon Gantillon, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1924: ''À l'ombre du mal'' by Henri-René Lenormand, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1925: ''

Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' ( sv, Fröken Julie) is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of ...

'' by

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1925: ''Déjeuner d'artistes'' by Jean Gaument and Camille Cé, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1925: ''L'Étrange Épouse du professeur Stierbecke'' by Albert-Jean, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1925: ''La Cavalière Elsa'' by

Paul Demasy Paul Demasy (21 March 1884 – 30 January 1974) was a francophone Belgian playwright. Main works ;Theatre *1919: ''La Tragédie d'Alexandre'' *1924: ''Jésus de Nazareth'' *1925: ' *1926: ''Dalilah'' *1933: ''Milmort'' *1925: ''Panurge'' *1937 ...

after

Pierre Mac Orlan Pierre Mac Orlan, sometimes written MacOrlan (born Pierre Dumarchey, February 26, 1882 – June 27, 1970), was a French novelist and songwriter. His novel '' Quai des Brumes'' was the source for Marcel Carné's 1938 film of the same name, starring ...

*1925: ''La Chapelle ardente'' by

Gabriel Marcel Gabriel Honoré Marcel (7 December 1889 – 8 October 1973) was a French philosopher, playwright, music critic and leading Christian existentialist. The author of over a dozen books and at least thirty plays, Marcel's work focused on the mode ...

Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier The Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier is a theatre located at 21, rue du Vieux-Colombier, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1913 by the theatre producer and playwright Jacques Copeau. Today it is one of the three theatres in Paris u ...

*1925: ''Fantaisie amoureuse'' by André Lang, Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier *1926: ''Le Dompteur ou l'anglais tel qu'on le mange'' by

Alfred Savoir Alfred Poznański (23 January 1883 – 26 June 1934), better known by his alias Alfred Savoir, was a Polish-born French comedy playwright of Jewish background. Career Alfred Poznański was born into a Jewish family in the Polish city of Łódź ...

, Théâtre Michel *1926: ''Le Couvre-feu'' by Albert Boussac de Saint-Marc, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1926: ''L'Homme du destin'' by George Bernard Shaw, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1926: ''Le Bourgeois romanesque'' by Jean Blanchon, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1926: ''Une visite'' by Anne Valray, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1926: ''Têtes de rechange'' by Jean-Victor Pellerin, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1926: ''Les Chevaux du char'' by Jacques de Zogher, Théâtre Antoine *1926: ''L'Amour magicien'' by Henri-René Lenormand, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1927: ''Almicar'' by Philippe Fauré-Frémiet, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1927: ''La Machine à calculer'' by

Elmer Rice Elmer Rice (born Elmer Leopold Reizenstein, September 28, 1892 – May 8, 1967) was an American playwright. He is best known for his plays ''The Adding Machine'' (1923) and his Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of New York tenement life, '' Street Sce ...

, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1928: ''

The Dybbuk ''The Dybbuk'', or ''Between Two Worlds'' (russian: Меж двух миров �ибук}, trans. ''Mezh dvukh mirov ibuk'; yi, צווישן צוויי וועלטן - דער דִבּוּק, ''Tsvishn Tsvey Veltn – der Dibuk'') is a play by ...

'' by S. Ansky, Studio des Champs-Élysées *1928: ''Cris des cœurs'' by Jean-Victor Pellerin, Théâtre de l'Avenue *1928: '' Le Premier Hamlet'' by

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, Théâtre de l'Avenue *1928: ''Départ'' by Simon Gantillon, Théâtre de l'Avenue *1929: ''

Le Malade imaginaire ''The Imaginary Invalid'', ''The Hypochondriac'', or ''The Would-Be Invalid'' (French title ''Le Malade imaginaire'', ) is a three- act ''comédie-ballet'' by the French playwright Molière with dance sequences and musical interludes (H.495, H.49 ...

'' by Molière, Théâtre de l'Avenue *1929: ''La Voix de sa maîtresse'' by Charles Oulmont and Paul Masson, Théâtre de l'Avenue *1929: ''Karl et Anna'' by

Leonhard Frank Leonhard Frank (4 September 1882 in Würzburg – 18 August 1961 in Munich) was a German expressionist writer. He studied painting and graphic art in Munich, and gained acclaim with his first novel ''The Robber Band'' (1914, tr. 1928). When a Ber ...

, Théâtre de l'Avenue

1930–1939

*1930: ''Feu du ciel'' by Pierre Dominique,

Théâtre Pigalle The Théâtre Pigalle was a theatre in Paris, located in the rue Pigalle in the ninth ''arrondissement''. History Opened on June 20, 1929, financed by Philippe de Rothschild on the estate of his father Henri de Rothschild, the Rothschilds' amb ...

*1930: ''Le Simoun'' by Henri-René Lenormand, Théâtre Pigalle *1930: ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a " play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with mu ...

'' by Bertolt Brecht, Théâtre Montparnasse *1930: ''

Le Médecin malgré lui ''Le Médecin malgré lui'' (; "The doctor/physician in spite of himself") is a farce by Molière first presented in 1666 (published as a manuscript in early 1667) at le théâtre du Palais-Royal by la Troupe du Roi. The play is one of sever ...

'' by Molière, Théâtre Montparnasse *1930: ''Le Sourd ou l'auberge pleine'' by Pierre Jean Baptiste Choudard Desforges, Théâtre Montparnasse *1931: ''Terrain vague'' by Jean-Victor Pellerin, Théâtre Montparnasse *1931: ''Beau Danube rouge'' by Bernard Zimmer, Théâtre Montparnasse *1932: ''Bifur'' by Simon Gantillon, Théâtre Montparnasse *1932: ''Café-Tabac'' by Denys Amiel, Théâtre Montparnasse *1932: ''As You Desire Me '' by

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power ...

, Théâtre Montparnasse *1933: ''

Crime and punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...

'' after

Dostoievsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

, Théâtre Montparnasse *1934: ''Voyage circulaire'' by Jacques Chabannes, Théâtre Montparnasse *1934: ''Prosper'' by Lucienne Favre, Théâtre Montparnasse *1935: ''Hôtel des masques'' by Albert-Jean, Théâtre Montparnasse *1935: ''

Les Caprices de Marianne ''Les caprices de Marianne'' is a two-act opéra comique by Henri Sauguet with a French libretto by Jean-Pierre Gredy after Alfred de Musset. It was first performed at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 1954, with the Orchestre de la Société des C ...

'' by Alfred de Musset, Théâtre Montparnasse *1936: ''

'' after

, Théâtre Montparnasse *1937: ''Les Ratés'' by Henri-René Lenormand, Théâtre Montparnasse *1937: ''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroa ...

'' by

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

, Théâtre Montparnasse *1937: ''

Le Chandelier ''Le Chandelier'' is an 1835 play in three acts by French dramatist Alfred de Musset. The play was first published in 1835 in ''Revue des deux Mondes''. It was first staged at the Théâtre Historique in August 1848 with Mademoiselle Maillet a ...

'' by Alfred de Musset,

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

*1937: ''Madame Capet'' by

Marcelle Maurette Marcelle may refer to: *Marcelle, a French feminine version of Marcel * 1300 Marcelle (1934 CL), a main-belt asteroid *Groupe Marcelle A group is a military unit or a military formation that is most often associated with military aviation. A ...

, Théâtre Montparnasse *1938: '' The Italian Straw Hat'' by Eugène Labiche and Marc-Michel,

*1938: ''Arden de Feversham'' by Henri-René Lenormand, Théâtre Montparnasse *1938: ''Dulcinée'' by Gaston Baty, Théâtre Montparnasse *1939: ''

Manon Lescaut ''The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut'' ( ) is a novel by Antoine François Prévost. Published in 1731, it is the seventh and final volume of ''Mémoires et aventures d'un homme de qualité'' (''Memoirs and Adventures of a Ma ...

'' by

after

abbé Prévost Antoine François Prévost d'Exiles ( , , ; 1 April 169725 November 1763), usually known simply as the Abbé Prévost, was a French priest, author, and novelist. Life and works He was born at Hesdin, Artois, and first appears with the full nam ...

, Théâtre Montparnasse

1940–1949

*1940: ''

Phèdre ''Phèdre'' (; originally ''Phèdre et Hippolyte'') is a French dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677 at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris. Composition and premiere Wit ...

'' by

Jean Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditi ...

, Théâtre Montparnasse *1940: '' Un garçon de chez Véry'' by Eugène Labiche, Théâtre Montparnasse *1941: ''Marie Stuart'' by

, Théâtre Montparnasse *1941: ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...

'' by Shakespeare, Théâtre Montparnasse *1942: '' Macbeth'' by Shakespeare, Théâtre Montparnasse *1944: ''Le Grand Poucet'' by

Claude-André Puget Claude-André Puget (22 June 1905, in Nice – 14 August 1975) was a 20th-century French playwright and screenwriter. Theatre Plays *1932: ''La Ligne de cœur'' *1933: ''Valentin le Désossé'' *1937: ''Tourterelle'' *1938: ''Les Jours heureux ...

, Théâtre Montparnasse *1944: ''La Queue de la poële'' by Gaston Baty, Marionnettes de Gaston Baty *1944: '' Emily Brontë'' by Madame Simone, Théâtre Montparnasse *1945: '' Lorenzaccio'' by Alfred de Musset, Théâtre Montparnasse *1946: ''

Berenice Berenice ( grc, Βερενίκη, ''Bereníkē'') is the Ancient Macedonian form of the Attic Greek name ''Pherenikē'', which means "bearer of victory" . Berenika, priestess of Demeter in Lete ca. 350 BC, is the oldest epigraphical evidence. ...

'' by

Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditi ...

*1946: '' Arlequin poli par l'amour'' by

Marivaux Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux (4 February 1688 – 12 February 1763), commonly referred to as Marivaux, was a French playwright and novelist. He is considered one of the most important French playwrights of the 18th century, writing num ...

, Comédie-Française *1947: ''* ''L'Amour des trois oranges'' by Alexandre Arnoux, Théâtre Montparnasse *1948: ''Sapho'' by

Alphonse Daudet Alphonse Daudet (; 13 May 184016 December 1897) was a French novelist. He was the husband of Julia Daudet and father of Edmée, Léon and Lucien Daudet. Early life Daudet was born in Nîmes, France. His family, on both sides, belonged to the ...

and Auguste Bélot, Comédie-Française *1948: ''La Langue des femmes'' by Jean-Baptiste Marie and ''La Marjolaine'' by Gaston Baty, puppets by Gaston Baty, Salle des Archives Internationales de la danse *1948: ''Au temps où Berthe filait'' by Marcel Fabry, puppets by Gaston Baty, Salle des Archives Internationales de la danse *1949: '' L'Inconnue d'Arras'' by

Armand Salacrou Armand Camille Salacrou (9 August 1899 – 23 November 1989) was a French dramatist. Biography He was born in Rouen, but spent most of his childhood at Le Havre, and moved to Paris in 1917. His first works show the influence of the Surrealis ...

, Comédie-Française *1949: ''La Tragique Et Plaisante Histoire du Docteur Faust'' by Gaston Baty, puppets by Gaston Baty

1950–1959

*1952: ''

'' by Alfred de Musset, Comédie de Provence Casino municipal in Aix-en-Provence *1952: ''

'' by

, Comédie de Provence Casino municipal in Aix-en-Provence *1952: ''

'' by Molière, Comédie de Provence Casino municipal in Aix-en-Provence *1952: ''Arden de Feversham'' by Henri-René Lenormand, Comédie de Provence Casino municipal in Aix-en-Provence *1953: ''Le Chandelier'' by Alfred de Musset, Comédie de Provence Théâtre du Gymnase (Marseille) *1957: ''

'' by Goethe, Théâtre Montparnasse

References

External links

Fonds Gaston Baty
on Bnf Archives et manuscrits. {{DEFAULTSORT:Baty, Gaston 1885 births 1952 deaths People from Loire (department) 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights