Jeanne Dortzal born Jeanne-Françoise Thomasset (January 24, 18781943) was a French actor, poet and playwright who was born in Algeria.
Early life and education Dortzal was born in Ghazaouet in Algeria in 1878. Ghazaouet was then called Nemours and she was called Jeanne-Françoise Thomasset. She said that she had fallen in love with a sheikh but her father objected and the sheikh died in a duel. Her father would not let her become an actress, but her mother left him and took her to Paris. She studied at the Conservatory and also at the Odéon.
Career
François Guermonprez took photos of her and they were used to illustrate Pierre Guédy's 1899 book, The Blue Hour. The illustrations were coloured.
She won the Gil Blas beauty contest in Paris in 1899 beating Elise de Vere. Dortzal was scheduled to appear in vaudeville the following year.
Her partner, Pierre Guédy, died after becoming insane in 1903 leaving her with a son who was also called Pierre. She took to publishing poetry.
Jules Massenet set some of her work to music including a version she had created of the Snow White story after the Brothers Grimm (Perce-Neige et les sept gnomes). It was staged at the Théâtre Fémina in Paris.
In 1921 she published "Les Versets du soleil".
Researchers report that they can find no evidence of her skills after 1930. It is only the discovery of part of a monument to her that confirms that she was alive until 1943.
Personal life At some point she met Pierre Guédy,Paul Léautaud : literary diary, Monday, December 6, 1948 with whom she had a son named Pierre.
Works Vers sur le sable, 1901 Vers l'infini, 1904 Le jardin des dieux, 1908 Sténio, pièce en 1 acte en vers, 1908 Perce-neige et les sept gnomes, 1909 Une bonne leçon, 1910 Sur les toits bleus du soir, 1911 Les Cloches de Port-Royal, 1912 Les versets du soleil, 1921 La croix de sable, 1927 Le royaume du sable, 1929 Le Credo sur la montagne, 1934
Death She died in 1943, after the death of her son, Pierre. She is the grandmother of actress (1927–2013).
References