Playwright. Actor. Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin in Paris, France. Moliere’s father was a servant of the king, an upholsterer who looked after the royal furnishings, so he enjoyed advantages that most did not have at the time. He was educated at some of the finest schools in Paris and at an early aged showed a talent for what would be the focus of much of life’s work, satire. His mother died when he was young and by the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to his father’s trade. Eventually, he discovered the theater, and his life dramatically altered. He changed his name to Moliere and began performing with a dramatic troupe that he founded. The group struggled in the beginning, but eventually they began to take off when he began writing plays for them. His first important work was “The Blunderer” the success of which bolstered this company’s confidence and lead to further successful ventures. Moliere’s company gained enough of a reputation that eventually he was able to get an invitation to play for the King. The King was not immediately impressed, but once he saw a performance of Moliere’s “The Love Sick Doctor,” he invited the company to perform at one of Paris’ three prestigious theaters. This began a long and fruitful relationship with the King that would eventually lead to the company receiving preferential treatment from the King and to being recognized as the most important troupe in France. Moliere would enjoy the King’s patronage until he died. Moliere would go on to write and often star in productions of “The School for Husbands,” “The School for Wives,” “The Misanthrope,” “The Doctor in Spite of Himself,” “Tartuffe,” “The Miser,” and “The Imaginary Invalid.” While performing in the lead in a production of “The Imaginary Invalid”, Moliere developed a hemorrhage. In true theatrical style, he finished the performance despite advice to the contrary believing the show must go on. He died later that night leaving a legacy of work that would inspire future generations of playwrights and entertain future generations of audiences around the world.