The Théâtre du Marais () has been the name of several

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

s and theatrical troupes in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The original and most famous theatre of the name operated in the 17th century. The name was briefly revived for a

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

theatre in 1791, and revived again in 1976. The present-day Théâtre du Marais operates at 37, rue Volta in the

3rd arrondissement of Paris The 3rd arrondissement of Paris (, ) is one of the 20 (districts) of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is colloquially referred to as "" () meaning "the third". Its postal code is 75003. It is governed locally to ...

First incarnation (1634–1673)

The Théâtre du Marais was founded in 1634, at which time there had been only one

theatre company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

in Paris, the '' comédiens du Roi'' ("

comedians A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who ...

of the King"), at the Hôtel de Bourgogne. The actors Charles Lenoir and

Montdory Montdory, pseudonym of Guillaume des Gilberts (baptized 13 March 1594; died between 17 November 1653 and 14 November 1654), was a French actor-manager, recognized as "the most powerful tragedian of his day."Roy 1995. Birth, family, and name Mont ...

decided to create their own troupe, and situated it in the fashionable

Le Marais The Marais (Le Marais ; "the marsh") is a historic district in Paris, France. It spreads across parts of the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, 3rd and 4th arrondissement of Paris, 4th Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements on the Rive Droit ...

district of Paris, where they converted the

Jeu de Paume ''Jeu de paume'' (, ; originally spelled ; ), nowadays known as real tennis, (US) court tennis or (in France) ''courte paume'', is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, ...

des "Maretz", an unused tennis court on the Vieille Rue du Temple opposite the Capuchins, into a theatre.Scott 2000, p. 40. The new theatre's

repertory A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...

was made up mainly of

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of delibe ...

s by Jodelet and works by

Pierre Corneille Pierre Corneille (; ; 6 June 1606 – 1 October 1684) was a French tragedian. He is generally considered one of the three great 17th-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine. As a young man, he earned the valuable patronage ...

; Corneille debuted '' Le Cid'' there in 1637. The actor Floridor entered the troupe in 1640, and quickly became a major star. In 1643, the theatre was heavily damaged by a fire, and closed until its restoration was completed in October 1644. Upon its reopening, due to its technical innovations as a new theatre and being the first theatre to add a proscenium arch, it increasingly developed spectacular sets, with machinery helping to depict shipwrecks and cataclysms. Marie Champmeslé and her husband entered the troupe in 1669. Competition with the ''comédiens du Roi'' lasted until 1673, when the Théâtre du Marais was dissolved to join with

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

's troupe, forming the '' troupe du Roi'' at the Théâtre Guénégaud, and eventually part of the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

Second incarnation (1791–1807)

A new Théâtre du Marais was founded in 1791. It was built using materials recovered from the

storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille ( ), which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison k ...

, and presented revolutionary spectacles. The house playwright was

Pierre Beaumarchais Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (; 24 January 1732 – 18 May 1799) was a French playwright and diplomat during the Age of Enlightenment. Best known for his three #Figaro plays, Figaro plays, at various times in his life he was also a watc ...

. This theatre was forced to close in 1807 by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, and it was destroyed in 1812 to make room for the construction of

public baths Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...

Third incarnation (1976–present)

The current Théâtre du Marais was founded by Jacques Mauclair in 1976. It temporarily closed in 1999, but was reopened as part of the Cours Florent in May 2000.

References

;Notes ;Sources * Scott, Virginia (2000). ''Molière: A Theatrical Life''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. .

First incarnation (1634–1673)

Second incarnation (1791–1807)

Third incarnation (1976–present)

See also

References

External links