1 8 8 7   – ▁ 1 6 ▁August ▁ 1 9 5 1 ) ▁was ▁a ▁French ▁actor , ▁director , ▁and ▁theatre ▁director . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁Over coming ▁speech ▁imped iments ▁and ▁sometimes ▁par al yz ing ▁stage ▁fright ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁man , ▁J ouv et ' s ▁first ▁important ▁association ▁was ▁with ▁Jacques ▁C ope au ' s ▁Thé âtre ▁du ▁V ieux - Col omb ier , ▁beginning ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁C ope au ' s ▁training ▁included ▁a ▁varied ▁and ▁demand ing ▁schedule , ▁regular ▁exercise ▁for ▁ag ility ▁and ▁stam ina , ▁and ▁pressing ▁his ▁cast ▁and ▁crew ▁to ▁invent ▁the atr ical ▁effects ▁in ▁a ▁bare - b ones ▁space . ▁It ▁was ▁there ▁J ouv et ▁developed ▁his ▁considerable ▁stage craft ▁skills , ▁particularly ▁make up ▁and ▁light ing ▁( he ▁developed ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁acc ent ▁light ▁named ▁the ▁j ouv et ). ▁These ▁years ▁included ▁a ▁successful ▁tour ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁While ▁influ ential , ▁C ope au ' s ▁the ater ▁was ▁never ▁luc r ative . ▁J ouv et ▁left ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁for ▁the ▁Com édie ▁des ▁Cham ps - É ly s ées ▁( the ▁small ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁Thé âtre ▁des ▁Cham ps - É ly s ées ). ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁he ▁st aged ▁his ▁single ▁most ▁successful ▁production , ▁the ▁sat ire ▁Dr . ▁Kno ck , ▁written