Marie-Thérèse-Etiennette Bourgoin (1781–1833) was a French stage actress who performed at the Comédie-Française in Paris. She was known for her beauty and acting talent.V.G. Burgoen, Tereza Etiennetta // Russian Biographical Dictionary: in 25 volumes. — SPb.Moscow, 1896-1918. Bourgoin had an affair with Russian Emperor Alexander I after being sent to entertain his delegation in Erfurt by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Early life and career Bourgoin was born on July 4, 1781, in Paris to a master shoemaker. She dreamed of the stage from early childhood, studying dance from age six and later acting. Her professional debut came at age 18 on September 13, 1799, at the Théâtre-Français in Paris.Henry Lyonnet. Dictionnaire des comédiens français, ceux d'hier: biographie, bibliographie, iconographie.... T. 1. A-D, Genève, Revue universelle internationale illustrée, 1912, 650 p., p. 218-220

Over the next three decades, Bourgoin performed over 50 roles at the Comédie-Française. She was inducted as the 213th member in 1802 and departed in 1829. Some of her most acclaimed roles were in productions of plays by Molière, Jean Racine, Pierre de Beaumarchais, and Voltaire. This included parts such as Iphigénie in Iphigénie, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Célimène in The Misanthrope, and the title role in Eugénie.Dezobry and Bachelet, Dictionnaire de biographie, vol. 1, Ch. Delagrave, 1876, p. 356

Affair with Alexander I In 1808, Napoleon brought a troupe of actors including Bourgoin to Erfurt, Germany to entertain Alexander I and the Russian delegation to the Congress of Erfurt. Alexander was especially fond of Bourgoin's performances. At Napoleon's urging, she traveled back to the Russian Empire with Alexander.

Bourgoin made her St. Petersburg debut on July 26, 1809, starring in the comedy Nanina by Voltaire. She was a sensation with Russian audiences over the next two years. Bourgoin is believed to have become Alexander I's mistress during this period before returning to her acting career in Paris.

Theatre

Career at the Comédie-Française Year Play Role 1799 Fénelon by Gabriel-Marie Legouvé Amélie 1799 Iphigénie by Jean Racine Iphigénie 1801 Mélanie ou la Religieuse by Jean-François de La Harpe Mélanie 1801 Mithridate by Jean Racine Monime 1802 Isule et Orovèse by Népomucène Lemercier Egésile 1802 The Guilty Mother by Beaumarchais 1802 The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais 1802 Phèdre by Jean Racine Aricie 1802 Tartuffe by Molière Mariane 1803 Le Veuf amoureux by Jean-François Collin d'Harleville Euphrosine 1803 The Three Sultans or Suleiman II by Charles-Simon Favart Roxelane 1803 Melpomène et Thalie by René de Chazet Mercure 1803 Siri-Brahé ou les Curieuses by Henry Joseph Thurind de Ryss Julie Guldenstern 1803 Andromache by Jean Racine Andromache 1803 Bajazet by Jean Racine Atalide 1803 Britannicus by Jean Racine Junie 1804 William the Conqueror by Alexandre Duval 1804 Les Deux Figaro by Honoré-Antoine Richaud-Martelly Inès 1804 La Leçon conjugale by Charles-Augustin Sewrin and René de Chazet Suzanne 1805 Auguste et Théodore by Ernest de Manteufel Théodore 1805 Les Plaideurs by Jean Racine Isabelle 1805 Anaximander by François Andrieux Phrosine 1805 Esther by Jean Racine Zarès 1806 Athalie by Jean Racine Zacharie 1806 Antiochus Epiphanes by Auguste Le Chevalier Zobeide 1806 The Misanthrope by Molière 1807 Pyrrhus ou les Aeacides by Louis-Grégoire Le Hoc Iphise 1808 Plautus ou la Comédie latine by Népomucène Lemercier Thalia 1808 The Family Assembly by François-Louis Riboutté Rosine 1810 Eugénie by Beaumarchais Eugénie 1810 Athalie by Jean Racine Salomith 1811 A Tomorrow of Fortune or the Embarrassments of Happiness by Louis-Benoît Picard Claire 1811 La Femme misanthrope ou le Spite d'amour by Alexandre Duval Pauline 1812 Mascarille ou la Soeur supposée after Jean de Rotrou adapted by Charles Maurice Angélique 1812 The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais 1812 La Lecture de Clarisse by François Roger Flamette 1813 Tippo-Saëb by Étienne de Jouy Aldéïr 1813 Ninus II by Charles Briffaut Zorame 1813 The Supposed Niece by Eugène de Planard Laure 1813 Tom Jones à Londres by Desforges Sophie 1814 Fouquet by J. R. de Gain-Montagnac Mademoiselle de Nollan 1814 The Barber of Seville by Beaumarchais 1815 Les Deux voisines by Marc-Antoine-Madeleine Désaugiers and Michel-Joseph Gentil de Chavagnac Julie 1816 Henri IV and Mayenne by Rancé and Thauélon de Lambert Annette 1816 La Comédienne by François Andrieux Henriette 1816 Alexandre et Apelle by Alexandre-Jean-Joseph de La Ville de Mirmont Eudore 1816 Charlemagne by Népomucène Lemercier Hugues 1816 La Pensée d'un bon roi by Jean-Baptiste Dubois Victorine 1816 La Fête de Henri IV by Michel-Nicolas Balisson de Rougemont Pauline 1816 L'Anniversaire ou Une journée by Philippe-Auguste de Rancé and Théaulon de Rambert Gabrielle 1816 L'Artisan politique by Théodore-Henri Barrau Rose 1817 Le Faux Bonhomme by Népomucène Lemercier Ursule 1818 La Reconciliation par ruse by François-Louis Riboutté Rose 1818 The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais 1818 Le Susceptible par honneur by Étienne Gosse Alphonsine 1818 The Misanthrope by Molière Célimène 1819 Hécube et Polyxène by Pierre-François-Xavier Bourguignon d'Herbigny Polyxène 1819 The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais 1819 Le Frondeur by Jacques-Corentin Royou Julie 1820 Le Flatterteur by Étienne Gosse Rose 1821 Zénobie by Jacques-Corentin Royou Thanis 1821 Le Faux bonhomme by Alexandre Duval Sophie 1821 L'Heureux rencontre by Eugène de Planard Émilie 1821 Faliero by Étienne Gosse Angéline 1821 Les Plaideurs sans procès by Charles-Guillaume Étienne Jenny 1822 Le Ménage de Molière by Justin Gensoul and J. A. N. Naudet Henriette 1822 Clytemnestra by Alexandre Soumet Electra 1823 La Route de Bordeaux by Marc-Antoine Désaugiers, Michel-Joseph Gentil de Chavagnac and Gersain Émilie 1825 La Correspondance d'Alexandrine-Sophie de Bawr Mademoiselle d'Ermance 1825 Bélisaire by Étienne de Jouy Eudoxe 1825 Sigismond de Bourgogne by Jean-Pons-Guillaume Viennet Sidonie 1826 L'Amitié des deux âges by Henri Monier de La Sizeranne Amélie 1826 Rosemonde by François Paul Émile Boisnormand de Bonnechose Rosemonde 1826 Marcel by Michel-Nicolas Balisson de Rougemont Marie Sources:

Later stage roles and death

Upon returning to the Comédie-Française, Bourgoin continued performing lead roles into the 1820s. Some of her last acclaimed parts were in The Marriage of Figaro (1819), Zénobie (1821), and Marcel (1826).

After a 34-year stage career, Bourgoin died in her native Paris on August 11, 1833, at age 52. She was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery. Over three decades at the Comédie-Française, Bourgoin performed over 50 roles showcasing her talents as one of the leading actresses of her era.Paul Bauer, Mémoire et Documents, 2006, 867 p. (), p. 441-442

References