Adrienne Lecouvreur

Adrienne Lecouvreur (born April 5, 1692, Damery, Fr.—died March 20, 1730, Paris) was a leading French actress whose life inspired a tragic drama a century after her death. At the age of 14 she participated in an amateur performance of Pierre Corneille’s Polyeucte. She then received instruction in acting from the actor-manager Paul Legrand and as a professional actress was first seen on the stage at Lille. On May 14, 1717, she made her debut...