Jules ClaretieJules Arsène Arnaud Claretie was a French author and theater director who was born on December 3, 1840, and died on December 23, 1913. He was born in Limoges. After going to the Parisian lycée Bonaparte, he became a journalist and had a lot of succes as a drama reviewer for Le Figaro and the Opinion nationale. During the Franco-Prussian War, he wrote for a newspaper. During the Paris Commune, he was a staff officer in the National Guard. When he turned 30, he became the head of the Théatre Francais and spent most of his time running it until he died. The Comité de Lecture was dissolved in October 1901 during the fight for Octave Mirbeau's comedy Les affaires sont les affaires (Business is business). Jules Claretie then had full control over choosing which modern plays would be played. In 1888, he was elected to the Académie francaise. Ernest Renan served as his host when he took his place in February 1889. Read More Read Less