BARON, MICHEL

born Oct. 8?, 1653, Paris died Dec. 22, 1729, Paris actor, from 1670 until his retirement in 1691 the undisputed master of the French stage. The child of theatrical parents, he was orphaned at the age of 12 and joined the company of children known as the Petits Comdiens du Dauphin. He joined Molire's company in 1670 and was treated like a son by the master. He later became a member of the company at the Htel de Bourgogne and subsequently of the newly formed Comdie-Franaise. He created many of the leading roles in Racine's tragedies, besides those in two of his own comedies, L'Homme bonnes fortunes (1686; The Don Juan) and La Coquette et la fausse prude (1687; The Flirt and the False Prude). He retired in 1691 but in 1720 returned to the Comdie-Franaise. His son tienne-Michel Baron (16761711) was also an actor and left a son and two daughters, all of whom played at the Comdie-Franaise.