Deburau, Jean Gaspard
Deburau or Debureau, Jean Gaspard
(both: zhäN gäspär` dəbürō`), 1796–1846, French pantomime performer, whose original name was Jan Kaspar Dvorjak, b. Bohemia. He became famous for his introduction of the pantomime character PierrotPierrot[Fr.,=little Peter], character in French pantomime. A buffoon, he wore a loose white tunic with big buttons, balloon sleeves, and white pantaloons. His face was painted white. A creation of Giuseppe Giaratone or Geratoni (fl.
..... Click the link for more information. at the Théâtre des Funambules. With delicate charm and pathos, he captured the essence of the ever hopeful but always disappointed lover. He is the subject of a play by Sacha Guitry and of Marcel Carné's film, Children of Paradise (1944).
Bibliography
See biography by F. Kozik (tr. 1940).