Scribe, Augustin Eugène, << skreeb, oh goos TAN oo ZHEHN >> (1791-1861), was a French playwright. Scribe developed and popularized what is known as the well-made play. His formula for such plays included tightly constructed action, suspense, frequent surprises, and reversals of fortune. There was also an obligatory scene at the climax in which a secret is disclosed, leading to a logical and satisfying ending.
Scribe was born on Dec. 24, 1791, in Paris. Between 1815 and 1860, he wrote over 400 theater works, including comedies, dramas, opera librettos (stories), and light musical satires called vaudevilles. His major opera librettos include Robert le diable (1831), The Huguenots (1836), and Sicilian Vespers (1855). Scribe set many of his plays, including A Glass of Water (1840) and Adrienne Lecouvreur (1849), against interesting political backgrounds. But all of Scribe’s plays are basically slight, romantic works and are no longer fashionable. However, the well-made play he pioneered greatly influenced such playwrights as Henrik Ibsen, Arthur Miller, and George Bernard Shaw. Scribe died on Feb. 20, 1861.
