born Dec. 8, 1862, Paris, France
died June 5, 1921, Paris
French playwright.
Also an actor and director, he wrote 39 plays between 1881 and 1916, taking the farce to new heights on the French stage. His plots often depended on far-fetched cases of mistaken identity, and he used complicated mechanical props and elaborate stage settings. His plays included The Girl from Maxim's (1899), A Flea in Her Ear (1907), and Keep an Eye on Amélie! (1908). His farces have remained in the repertoire of the Comédie-Française .