ANTOINE, ANDRE ), French was born at Limoges, and in his early years was in business. But he was an enthusiastic amateur actor, and in 1887 he founded in Paris the Theatre Libre, in order to realize his ideas as to the proper development of dramatic art. In this undertaking he had the support of Zola, who championed Antoine's efforts for the re placement on the Parisian stage of the "well-made play" for something nearer the actualities of life. Many other writers backed the campaign, and Antoine began to produce the great series of plays by Brieux, Curel and Porto-Riche, which made his theatre famous. Mr. A. B. Walkley, in introducing M. Antoine to an English audience in 1922 justly said of him: "The great thing about the Theatre Libre was the spirit, courage and indom itable energy of its founder." Great as was its importance in Paris and in France, it was perhaps still greater in other countries. The Freie Biihne of Berlin, the Independent Theatre in London and other institutions of the kind, descended from it. For an account of his work, which had enormous influence on the French stage, see DRAMA : France. In 1894 he gave up the direction of this theatre, and became connected with the Gymnase, and later (1896) with the Odeon. His resignation from the Odeon in 1914 was universally regretted.
See S. M. Waxman, Antoine and the Theatre Libre (1926).