The wide expanse of Rue Louis Jouvet greets you. A curious street it is.
Rue Louis Jouvet a relatively new addition to Lyon’s urban fabric. It emerged sometime in the 1980s. Its name honors Louis Jouvet a renowned French actor. He wasn’t just an actor though. Jouvet was also a skilled lighting designer director and stage manager. He even ran the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Athénée Theatre. His film roles boosted his fame considerably.
Interestingly Jouvet has a connection to Lyon. He was a boarder at a school here in his youth possibly the Lazaristes or the Maristes. There’s a local legend about him living on Rue Constant from 1934 to 1938. But his biography indicates a busy life in Paris. Perhaps he stayed here when performing at the Celestins Theatre. He might have visited the college to give lectures around 1937.
During World War II Jouvet closed his theatre. He took his troupe on a remarkable tour. They travelled from Brazil to Mexico returning in 1944. His legacy isn’t limited to this street. A college also bears his name. The ENS library holds a rich collection of Jouvet’s theatre documents within their René Thomas Coble collection. Coble a close associate to Jouvet.
Rue Louis Jouvet’s architecture is unique. It’s quite wide lined with trees. Buildings stand back from the street behind fences. One side borders the Résidence Lumière a striking white building with many projecting windows. The other side runs alongside the Clinique Monplaisir its architecture complex. It then continues past the Lycée Colbert its gymnasium a large hangar-like structure. There is also a two-story teacher’s residence. A bluish pavilion connects the Lycée’s wings.
The street curves eastward. It ends near an older two-story white house. The southern part of Rue Louis Jouvet was widened in recent years. It opened onto Rue Saint Nestor in the late 20th century. The street partly follows the path of a vanished street Rue des Quatre Maisons. The Lycée Colbert absorbed Rue des Amis over time.
Today Rue Louis Jouvet is home to the Lycée Colbert. The Clinique Monplaisir and a residence also open onto Rue des Frères Lumière nearby. So walk this street. Feel the unique ambiance of Rue Louis Jouvet a tribute to a significant figure in French theatre. A man whose life intersected Lyon’s vibrant history.