DESGARCINS

desgarcins, magdeleine marie [louise] (1769-1797), french actress, was born at mont dauphin (hautes alpes). in her short career she became one of the greatest of french tragediennes, the associate of talma, with whom she nearly always played. her debut at the comedie francaise occurred on the 24th of may 1788, in _bajazet_, with such success that she was at once made _societaire_. she was one of the actresses who left the comedie francaise in 1791 for the house in the rue richelieu, soon to become the theatre de la republique, and there her triumphs were no less--in _king lear_, _othello_, la harpe's _melanie et virginie_, &c. her health, however, failed, and she died insane, in paris, on the 27th of october 1797.