# Primary Sources on Copyright - Record Viewer
Dramatic Act (1780)

Source: Archives nationales, 01/844 (document conservé aux Archives nationales, Paris)

Citation:
Dramatic Act (1780), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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            Chapter 1 Page 8 of 9 total



as to their rejection or admission; to calculate, together with the authors,
their share in the revenues from performances and to try to settle any
difficulties, if such should arise, with regard to the accounts; to give each
year, eight days before the closure of the Theatre, an opinion on the
distribution of any sequestered assets, regarding which it is to submit a
Roll to the Superiors, so that the allocation might be approved or
modified by them, as the case may be; to conclude bargains [faire les
marchés
], to make up statements of accounts, to check the Ticket-
office, to decide on the daily ordinary and extraordinary expenses; to
inspect, regulate and give orders in and to all the parties which are
dependent on the performance; to judge the differences of opinion which
might arise between the Comédiens, as well as the disputes raised
by the Directors and Actors of the Provinces; to notify both the
Comédiens and other interested persons of the orders which are addressed
to them by the Superiors; to name each year those who will be
entrusted with the compliments de cloture et de rentrée,* and to make
sure that the content of the said compliments is entirely suitable; in
short, to regulate all the affairs of the Comédie, general or particular,
of whatever nature they may be, His Majesty’s intention being that
the said Committee, assisted by the ordinary Counsellors of the
Comédie, should henceforth be the representative and superintendent
[gérant] of the said Society, with the sole exception of cases in
which real estate [immeubles] is to be alienated or pawned through
loans – something that may be proposed only in a general assembly;
nevertheless, His Majesty permits the said Committee to
assemble all of the Society when it considers this to be useful and
convenient, after having requested the Superiors’ agreement to such
an assembly, and in such a case decisions will be taken in the said
general assembly according to the accustomed manner and on the
basis of a majority vote; His Majesty likewise wishes that the weekly
general assemblies on Mondays with regard to the repertory should
continue to take place, but only so that each and everyone of the
Society’s members might be notified there of the repertory for the
fortnight and of any decisions which may have been taken by the
Committee; every member of the Society is obliged to comply with
the said repertory and decisions, on pain of a fine of three hundred
livres, which will be incurred by the sole fact [of non-compliance].
_________

*) Direct addresses to the audience spoken by a selected actor or
actress to mark the end of a theatre season or the opening of a new one.

    


sur leur renvoi ou admission; de compter avec les Auteurs de leurs parts dans
le produit des représentations et de chercher a concilier les difficultés, s’il
s’en éleve, au sujet des comptes; de donner chaque année, huit jours avant
la closure du Théatre, son avis sur la distribution des fonds du Sequestre dont
il présentera un Rolle aux Superieurs pour être par eux approuvé ou
reformé, s’il y a lieu; de faire les marchés, d’arrêter les comptes, de
veriffier la Caisse, d’ordonner les dépenses journalieres ordinaires et
extraordinaires; d’inspecter, regler et ordonner dans toutes les parties dépendantes
du spectacle; de juger les differents qui pourraient survenir entre les
Comédiens, ainsi que les contestations des Directeurs et Acteurs de Province; de
Notifier, soit aux Comédiens, soit aux autres personnes interessées les ordres
qui leur seront adressés par les Superieurs; de nommer chaque année ceux
qui seront chargés des Compliments de cloture et de rentrée, et de veiller
à ce que les dits compliments ne renferment rien que de convenable; en un
mot de régler toutes les affaires de la Comédie générales ou particulieres
de quelque nature qu’elles soyent, l’intention de Sa Majesté étant que le dit
Comité, assisté des Conseils ordinaires de la Comédie, soit desormais le
Représentant et le gérant de la d[ite] Societé, excepté le seul cas ou il s’agissait
d'aliener les immeubles ou de les engager par des emprunts, ce qui ne
pourra être proposé que dans une assemblée générale, Permet néanmoins Sa
Majesté au dit Comité d’assembler toute la Societé quand il le jugera
utile et convenable, après d’en avoir demandé l’agrement aux Superieurs,
auquel cas les Délibérations seront prises en la dite assemblée générale en la
manière accotumée et à la pluralité des voix; Comme aussi veut Sa Majesté
que l’assemblée générale des lundis de chaque semaine pour le repertoire
continue d’avoir lieu, mais seulement pour y être notifié à tous les membres
de la Societé et à chacun d’eux le repertoire de quinzaine et les Déliberations
qui auront pu être prises par le Comité; auxquels repertoire et Délibérations
chacun des Membres de la Societé sera tenu de se conformer sous
peine de trois cent livres d’amende qui sera encourue par le seul fait.

    

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