The Café de la Gare () is a dinner theater located at 41, rue du Temple in the
4th arrondissement of Paris. It lies in a square hidden between
Notre Dame de Paris and the historic
Marais district.
[Café de la Gare at theatreonline.com]
(in French) It was originally created in 1968 by a close-knit group of comedy actors who fixed up an old factory near the
Gare de Paris-Montparnasse in the 14th arrondissement. It was not until 1972 that the Cafe moved to its present location where it has become the largest and most famous fringe theater in Paris with a house that seats 450.
History
When it was founded, the Cafe de la Gare was called a "dinner theater", a vague term which at the time, applied mainly to a tax category. However, it was never a coffee house, and there were never any tables or chairs, only benches for about 180 people, surrounding the three sides of a stage eight meters wide and five meters deep.
[
From the beginning the theatre was dedicated to mockery and farce. When the patrons arrived they had to draw lots determine the price of their seats. Once seated they were entitled to a drink and a cushion which the actors frequently threw in their face. Even the slogan of the theatre was brash:
"It's ugly, it's dirty, it's going to happen" (''C'est moche, c'est sale, c'est dans le vent.'')
A remarkable number of the founding members of the Café de la Gare went on to become famous. These include Romain Bouteille, Sotha, Coluche, Patrick Dewaere, Henri Guybet, and Miou-Miou. At one time or another the company included Gérard Lanvin, Gérard Depardieu, Renaud, Thierry Lhermitte, ]Diane Kurys
Diane Kurys (; born 3 December 1948) is a French director, producer, filmmaker and actress. Several of her films as director are semi-autobiographical.
Personal life
Kurys was born in Lyon, Rhône, France, the younger of two daughters. She is a ...
, Coline Serreau, Josiane Balasko, Anémone, and Gérard Jugnot. Even the patrons of the cafe became famous; among the regulars over the years were Georges Moustaki, Raymond Devos, Jean Ferrat, Jacques Brel, Pierre Perret, and Jean Yanne.30th Anniversary of Café de la Gare
L'Express
(, stylized in all caps) is a French weekly news magazine headquartered in Paris. The weekly stands at the political centre-right in the French media landscape, and has a lifestyle supplement, ''L'Express Styles'', and a job supplement, ''RÃ ...
, August 15, 2002, (in French)
References
External links
*
Dewaere, Coluche, and Bouteille of the Café de la Gare Video, August 28, 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gare, Cafe De La
Theatres in Paris
Buildings and structures in the 4th arrondissement of Paris