Scribe, (Augustin) Eugène

Scribe, (Augustin) Eugène (1791-1861), French playwright. Scribe enjoyed great popularity in his time, producing about 350 plays and opera librettos, many of which were written with associates. Although he was criticized for a lack of taste and originality, he was acknowledged to be a master of his craft. His best-known plays include Adrienne Lecouvreur (1849)—written with Ernest Legouvé—a vehicle for the famous French actress Rachel. Among his librettos are those for Fra Diavolo (1830), music by the French composer Daniel François Esprit Auber, and Les Huguenots (1836), music by the German composer Giacomo Meyerbeer.