“For the new work let us have a bare trestle”. These words echoed through the Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Vieux-Colombier when it was founded. The speaker was Jacques Copeau. He was a theatre producer and playwright. He founded the theatre in 1913.
Today the Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Vieux-Colombier is one of three theatres used by the Com\u00e9die-Fran\u00e7aise. It is located at 21, rue du Vieux-Colombier. This is in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.
Jacques Copeau sought a space for theatrical ambitions. He wanted it on the Left Bank. That area had become the heart of intellectual life. It was away from the Grands Boulevards theatres. He rented the Ath\u00e9n\u00e9e Saint-Germain. It was a 300-seat hall built in 1899. It had hosted patronage groups.
The hall was renamed Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Vieux-Colombier. Its rococo moldings and gilding were removed. Francis Jourdain restructured the stage. Copeau wanted to renew stagecraft. He favored the work and the actor. He wanted to avoid distracting scenery.
Copeau believed interpretation was key. He recruited a young troupe. Charles Dullin, Roger Karl, and Suzanne Bing were among them. Louis Jouvet handled the administration. Financial resources were limited.
The Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Vieux-Colombier went to New York in 1917. They performed at the Garrick Theatre. The success did not meet expectations. The troupe returned to Paris in 1920. They reopened the Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Vieux-Colombier.
Jean Tedesco took over in 1924. He screened new works by Dimitri Kirsanoff and others. Spaces were devoted to creation. Andr\u00e9 Gide wrote subtitles there. He oversaw the editing of his film. Jean Renoir and Tedesco made “La Petite Marchande d’allumettes” there. The Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Vieux-Colombier became the smallest studio in the world.
Ren\u00e9 Rocher directed from 1935 to 1943. Paul Annet Badel bought it during the war. He created a jazz club in the cellar. Sidney Bechet and others performed there. Antonin Artaud made his last public appearance there. He gave a lecture to a full house.
In May 1944, Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Huis Clos” premiered here.
The radio show “Le Masque et la Plume” recorded here in its early years. It moved to the Maison de la Radio later.
Bernard Jenny directed the Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Vieux-Colombier from 1960 to 1970. He staged Paul Claudel’s trilogy. The theatre faced demolition in 1970. A gas station was planned. Claude Baks sued the oil company. Marthe Mercadier then Anne Caprile directed it.
The theatre closed in 1977. Actors protested the closure. It was classified as a historical monument. The state bought it in 1986.
It reopened in 1993. It became one of the Com\u00e9die-Fran\u00e7aise’s halls. The others are the Salle Richelieu and the Studio-Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Carrousel du Louvre.
The Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Vieux-Colombier stands as a testament to innovation. It reflects resilience in the face of adversity. From its bare-stage beginnings to its role today. It continues to inspire and captivate. It enriches the cultural landscape of Paris.