Rachel Felix

Rachel is born

Feb 21, 1821

Rachel Felix is born Elisa-Rachel Félix in Mumpf, Switzerland to Jacob and Esther.

Rachel Moves to Paris

1831

Rachel and her family made the move to Paris in order to protect her father's business and escape the rising anti-semitic attitudes in rural Switzerland.

Studies & First Role

Jun 12, 1838

Rachel studied under Alexandre-Étienne Choron and Saint-Aulaire at Théâtre du Gymnase, where she starred as Camille in Horace by Pierre Corneille.

Iphigénie en Aulide

Oct 15, 1838

Rachel starred as Ériphile in Iphigénie en Aulide by Racine, which introduced her to tragedies

First Comedy

Apr 30, 1839

Rachel portrayed the role of Dorine in Tartuffe, which was much different from her previous roles.

First International Tour

1841

Felix's fame became more widespread as she toured England and Belgium in her first performances outside of France.

Title Role Debut

May 7, 1842

Rachel's first title role was in Ariane by Thomas Corneille.

Phedre in Rancine's Phedre

Jan 21, 1843

Felix starred in the title role of this piece, thus solidifying her concentration on tragedies

Birth of Rachel's Son

Nov 3, 1844

Rachel gave birth to her son, Alexandre in Marly-le-Roi, France.

Thisbé in Angelo by Victor Hugo

May 18, 1850

This marked a shift from Felix typical roles in historical dramas and introduced her to contemporary dramas.

U.S. Debut

1855

Toured around the U.S as Lydie in Horace et Lydie by François Ponsard with her acting troupe.

Rachel Dies

Jan 4, 1858

Rachel died of consumption after years of symptoms. Her funeral was widely attended both by her Jewish community and her Parisian fans.