Imagine actors rehearsing lines here. This plaque commemorates the Thèâtre du Marais. But the story of this theater involves not one but three separate locations. Each thrived within the historic Marais district.
The first Thèâtre du Marais opened in 1634. It rose in popularity within the fashionable Marais neighborhood. This theater directly rivaled the established Hôtel de Bourgogne. Montdory an actor decided to establish his own theater. He challenged the monopoly held by Hôtel de Bourgogne.
Before 1634 Paris had only one permanent theater. That was the Hôtel de Bourgogne. The troupe of the Prince of Orange actors Le Noir and Mondory. They frequently stayed in Paris. They lost access to the Hôtel de Bourgogne. Between 1630 and early 1634 they developed several jeu de paume courts. They finally settled in the trendy Marais district. The actors renovated a jeu de paume on Rue Vieille-du-Temple. There their company remained until 1673. They became known as the Troupe du Marais. For fifteen years they provided fierce competition to the Hôtel de Bourgogne.
The Troupe du Marais premiered Le Cid. The play’s success led to a new practice. Actors began renting seats placed on either side of the stage. These seats became the most expensive equal to the front boxes. Young aristocrats frequented them. The actors never wanted to give them up. It remains unknown if the Thèâtre du Marais replaced folding chairs with fixed benches. Molière’s troupe did this at the Palais-Royal to reduce noise.
The Thèâtre du Marais showcased various popular playwrights. Pierre Corneille presented all his plays there until 1647. This included Le Cid in 1637. Other playwrights included Tristan l’Hermite Scudéry and Mairet. The repertoire mirrored that of the Hôtel de Bourgogne. It initially featured tragi-comedies and pastorals. Later it saw a revival of comedy thanks to Corneille. From 1634 so-called regular tragedy became popular. The actor Floridor joined the troupe in 1638. He succeeded Montdory. He quickly became a Parisian star and a friend of Corneille.
Competition was fierce. The Thèâtre du Marais and the Hôtel de Bourgogne often staged rival plays on the same subject. The king intervened at least twice. He altered the composition of the troupes transferring actors between theaters.
A fire destroyed the hall. It reopened after renovations in October 1644. The Thèâtre du Marais developed spectacular set changes. They featured shipwrecks and cataclysms in machine plays. This was an attempt to compensate for Floridor’s departure to the Hôtel de Bourgogne in 1647. Corneille followed him after contributing his plays to the Marais for eighteen years.
During the 1650s the theater experienced long closures. It regained solid activity during the 1660s. Machine plays helped. However it remained behind the Hôtel de Bourgogne and Molière’s Palais-Royal. These two theaters were more fashionable. They frequently recruited new actors from the Marais. The director La Roque constantly replenished his troupe. He recruited from numerous provincial companies. Marie Champmeslé and her husband joined in 1669. They moved to the Hôtel de Bourgogne a year later.
Financial difficulties resurfaced. After Molière’s death four of his actors joined the Hôtel de Bourgogne. King Louis XIV dissolved the Troupe du Marais. He ordered it to merge with Molière’s company which retained the title Troupe du Roi. The king granted the Palais-Royal to Lully for operas. The reconstituted Troupe du Roi rented a new hall on Rue Guénégaud. This hall had been equipped in 1669 for the first French opera Pomone. Armande Béjart Molière’s widow married Guérin d’Estriché in 1677. He was a former member of the Troupe du Marais.
In 1680 the Troupe Royale of the Hôtel de Bourgogne and the Troupe du Roi of the Hôtel Guénégaud merged. Louis XIV ordered this. They formed the Comédie-Française. It became the sole Parisian company of French actors. They performed at the Théâtre Guénégaud. The Hôtel de Bourgogne was assigned to the Comédie-Italienne.
Another Thèâtre du Marais appeared in 1791. It was located at 11 Rue de Sévigné. Materials from the demolished Bastille were used in its construction. It hosted revolutionary performances. Guillaume Trepsat designed the building. Several of Beaumarchais’ plays were performed there. Napoleon ordered it closed in 1807. The hall was demolished in 1812 to make way for a bathhouse.
In 1976 Jacques Mauclair founded a new theatrical venue. It was named Thèâtre du Marais. It briefly closed in 1999. Cours Florent reopened it in May 2000. Sébastien Autret Charles Petit and Quentin Paulhiac revived it in 2009. Hervé Compan became the director in 2015. He broadened the programming to all forms of live performance.
This plaque marks a spot of theatrical history. It is a reminder of the vibrant artistic spirit that has coursed through the Marais district for centuries.