The Théâtre national de la Colline () is a theatre at 15, rue Malte-Brun in the
20th arrondissement of Paris
The 20th arrondissement of Paris (known in French as the ''XXe arrondissement de Paris'' or simply as "''le vingtième''") is the last of the consecutively numbered arrondissements of the capital city of France. Also known as Ménilmontant () af ...
. The closest métro station is
Gambetta. It is one of the five national theatres dedicated to drama which are entirely supported by the
French Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Culture () is the ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of France in charge of List of museums in France, national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and pro ...
. The other four are the
Odéon-Théâtre, 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 ...
, the
Théâtre National de Chaillot, and the
Théâtre National de Strasbourg
The National Theatre of Strasbourg (, ; TNS) is a palace building on Strasbourg's Place de la République, now occupied by a theatre company of the same name, the National Theatre of Strasbourg.
The TNS was originally built to house the legislati ...
. Its status as a national theatre mandates that its mission is to promote contemporary works, hence the Colline mainly stages works of the twentieth century.
Various artists have succeeded at the direction of the theatre.
Jorge Lavelli
Jorge Lavelli (11 November 1932 – 9 October 2023) was an Argentine-born French theatre and opera director. He staged first plays and then opera, and in both fields, he was open to contemporary pieces without neglecting the classic repertoire.
...
directed the theatre from 1987 to 1996, stage director Alain Françon directed it from 1996 to 2010. In January 2009, stage director,
Stéphane Braunschweig became an associate artist at the theatre and assumed the directorship from 2010 to 2016. Actor, author and stage director
Wajdi Mouawad
Wajdi Mouawad, OC, (; born 1968) is a Lebanese-Canadian writer, actor, and director. He is known in Canadian and French theatre for politically engaged works such as the acclaimed play ''Incendies'' (2003). His works often revolve around famil ...
was appointed director in April 2016.
History
The Théâtre national de la Colline was founded in 1951 by ''The Guild'', a company headed by Guy Rétoré. It became a permanent theatre in 1960. In 1983 the
French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, had the theatre rebuilt. As a result, there are now two auditoriums—a large room that seats 750 people, and a small room that seats 200. There is also a restaurant, a bar, and a spacious lobby.
The theatre is the work of architects Valentine Fabre and John Perrottet, assisted by Alberto Cattani. They had to harmonize with the design of the city theatre and the great hall of the
Théâtre national de Chaillot. The façade of the building is a 12-meter high structure made of glass and metal, which gives the building a certain grandeur in the middle of the small street Malte-Brun and makes it a classic representative of 1980s architecture. The interior was designed by Heinz, using coloured varnish and wood preservative to emphasize the natural grain of the underlying wood.
Alain Françon directed the theatre from 1996 to 2010. In January 2009, Stéphane Braunschweig became an associate artist at the theatre and assumed the directorship from 2010 to 2016.
La Colline – A theatre for today, by Stéphane Braunschweig
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References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Colline, Theatre National De La
Theatres in Paris
Buildings and structures in the 20th arrondissement of Paris