BROHAN

brohan, augustine susanne (1807-1887), french actress, was born in paris on the 22nd of january 1807. she entered the conservatoire at the age of eleven, and took the second prize for comedy in 1820, and the first in 1821. she served her apprenticeship in the provinces, making her first paris appearance at the odeon in 1832 as dorine in _tartuffe_. her success there and elsewhere brought her a summons to the comedie francaise, where she made her _debut_ on the 15th of february 1834, as madelon in _les precieuses ridicules_, and suzanne in _le mariage de figaro_. she retired in 1842, and died on the 16th of august 1887. her elder daughter, josephine felicite augustine brohan (1824-1893), was admitted to the conservatoire when very young, twice taking the second prize for comedy. the soubrette part, entrusted for more than 150 years at the comedie francaise to a succession of artists of the first rank, was at the moment without a representative, and mdlle augustine brohan made her _debut_ there on the 19th of may 1841, as dorine in _tartuffe_, and lise in _rivaux d'eux-memes_. she was immediately admitted _pensionnaire_, and at the end of eighteen months unanimously elected _societaire_. she soon became a great favourite, not only in the plays of moliere and de regnard, but also in those of marivaux. on her retirement from the stage in 1866, she made an unhappy marriage with edmond david de gheest (d. 1885), secretary to the belgian legation in paris. susanne brohan's second daughter, emilie madeleine brohan (1833-1900), also took first prize for comedy at the conservatoire (1850). she was engaged at once by the comedie francaise, but instead of making her _debut_ in some play of the _repertoire_ of the theatre, the management put on for her benefit a new comedy by scribe and legouve, _les contes de la reine de navarre_, in which she created the part of marguerite on the 1st of september 1850. her talents and beauty made her a success from the first, and in less than two years from her _debut_ she was elected _societaire_. in 1853 she married mario uchard, from whom she was soon separated, and in 1858 she returned to the comedie francaise in leading parts, until her retirement in 1886. her name is associated with a great number of plays, besides those in the classical _repertoire_, notably _le monde ou l'on s'ennuie_, _par droit de conquete_, _les deux veuves_, and _le lion amoureux_, in which, as the "marquise de maupas", she had one of her greatest successes.