Victorien Sardou

Born in Paris on September 5, 1831, Victorien Sardou became one of the dominant figures of 19th-century French theatre. Britannica describes him as a major force on the French stage alongside Émile Augier and Alexandre Dumas fils, while Wikipedia notes that he is especially remembered for developing the "well-made play" with Eugène Scribe.

Sardou wrote a large number of comedies and historical dramas, and he had a sharp instinct for what worked in performance. Several of his plays went on to have a long afterlife through opera, most famously La Tosca, which became the basis for Puccini's Tosca, as well as Fédora and Madame Sans-Gêne.

He died in Paris on November 8, 1908. Today, even when individual plays are less widely read than they once were, he remains an important name in theatre history for his craftsmanship, theatrical pacing, and influence on the popular stage.