The Théâtre de l'Œuvre is a Paris theatre on the Right Bank, located at 3, Cité Monthiers, entrance 55, rue de Clichy, in the 9° arrondissement. It is commonly conflated and confused with the late-nineteenth-century theater company named Théâtre de l'Œuvre (or simply, L'Œuvre), founded by actor-director-producer Aurélien Lugné-Poe, who would not take control of this performance space until 1919. His company is best known for its earlier phase of existence, before it acquired this theatre venue. From 1893 to 1899, in various Parisian theatres, Lugné-Poe premiered modernist plays by foreign dramatists (Ibsen, Strindberg, Hauptmann, Bjørnson, Wilde), as well as new work by French Symbolists, most notoriously Alfred Jarry’s nihilistic farce ''

Ubu Roi ''Ubu Roi'' (; "Ubu the King" or "King Ubu") is a play by French writer Alfred Jarry, then 23 years old. It was first performed in Paris in 1896, by Aurélien Lugné-Poe's Théâtre de l'Œuvre at the Nouveau-Théâtre (today, the Théâtre de ...

'', which opened in 1896 at Nouveau-Théâtre (today, Théâtre de Paris, 15, rue Blanche). It is best to discuss the surviving theater building and Lugné-Poe's several-phase theater production company separately, though they share much of their history.

Building: Salle Berlioz

According to the present theatre's Web site, at some point in the nineteenth century, the Duke of Gramont built a rudimentary little theatre on this property, where he had also installed his mistress, opera singer Mademoiselle Coupé. Reputedly, the theatre privately offered a repertory that included risqué, even salacious work. In 1892, the space was renovated as a public concert hall with entrance in the adjoining courtyard area of Cité Monthiers. The hall, which featured orchestra level and three-sided balcony seating, as well as a large upstage organ, was named Salle Berlioz in honor of French composer, conductor, and music critic Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), who had lived nearby on the rue de Calais.

Lugné-Poe's art theater company

Launched in Paris in 1893, the Théâtre de l'Œuvre was among the first theatrical companies in France to provide a home for the artists of the Symbolist Movement of the 1890s. Director Lugné-Poe modeled the enterprise on the experimental structure of

André Antoine André Antoine (31 January 185823 October 1943) was a French actor, theatre manager, film director, author, and critic who is considered the father of modern mise en scène in France. Biography André Antoine was a clerk at the Paris Gas Utilit ...

's independent, subscription-based theatre company

Théâtre Libre The Théâtre Libre (French for "Free Theatre") was a theatre company that operated from 1887 to 1896 in Paris, France. Origins and History Théâtre Libre was founded on 30 March 1887 by André Antoine. The primary goal of the theatre was ...

, though it would intentionally adopt a non-Naturalistic program of plays. Lugné-Poe had embraced symbolism's "subjectivity, spirituality, and mysterious internal and external forces" as a source of profound truth after working as an actor at the Théâtre d'Art, the first independent Symbolist theatre. The poet

Paul Fort Jules-Jean-Paul Fort (1 February 1872 – 20 April 1960) was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. At the age of 18, reacting against the Naturalistic theatre, Fort founded the Théâtre d'Art (1890–93). He also founded and edit ...

, then just seventeen years old, had formed the company to explore the performance potential of found texts such as ''

The Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Ody ...

'', '' The Bible'', new plays by French writers, and his own lyric verse. When Fort left the group in 1892, and his efforts to produce

Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in ...

's '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' and Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam's ''

Axël ''Axël'' is a drama by French writer Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, published in 1890. It was influenced by his participation in the Paris Commune, the Gnostic philosophy of Hegel as well as the works of Goethe and Victor Hugo. It begins in an ...

'' fell through, Lugné-Poe stepped in to transform the art-theater endeavor into his own company, the Théâtre de l'Œuvre. Unlike Fort's project, which catered to the intellectual elite, Lugné-Poe sought to create a "theatre for the people," and customarily offered free tickets to most of the public, reserving only 100 seats for his subscription holders. Under his direction, the company first performed Maurice Maeterlinck's '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' on May 17, 1893 at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens. According to theatre historian Oscar Brockett: With the help of poet and critic Camille Mauclair and the painter

Édouard Vuillard Jean-Édouard Vuillard (; 11 November 186821 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist and printmaker. From 1891 through 1900, he was a prominent member of the Nabis, making paintings which assembled areas of pure color, and interior sc ...

(with whom Lugné-Poe was sharing an apartment), the director dedicated the theatre to presenting the work of the young French Symbolist playwrights in addition to introducing new foreign dramas. The group established themselves that same year, renting a small rehearsal room atop Salle Berlioz and calling themselves ''Maison de l'Œuvre'', or literally, the "House of Works." Lugné-Poe, however, soon established company offices at 23, rue Turgot, eventually moving operations across the street to no. 22. None of the productions in the seminal phase of his art theatre (1893-1899) appeared at the Salle Berlioz. Paris Salle Berlioz 55 rue de Clichy 1907

Paris Salle Berlioz 55 rue de Clichy 1907

In addition to those of Maeterlinck, the theatre company also produced

Sanskrit drama The term Indian classical drama refers to the tradition of dramatic literature and performance in ancient India. The roots of drama in the Indian subcontinent can be traced back to the Rigveda (1200-1500 BCE), which contains a number of hymns in ...

s in addition to works by foreign authors such as Oscar Wilde,

Gerhart Hauptmann Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann (; 15 November 1862 – 6 June 1946) was a German dramatist and novelist. He is counted among the most important promoters of literary naturalism, though he integrated other styles into his work as well. He rece ...

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

, and Gabriele D’Annunzio, alongside works by young French dramatists like Henry Bataille,

Henri de Régnier Henri-François-Joseph de Régnier (28 December 1864 – 23 May 1936) was a French symbolist poet, considered one of the most important of France during the early 20th century. Life and works He was born in Honfleur ( Calvados) on 28 December 1 ...

et Alfred Jarry. Lugné-Poe was also instrumental in introducing Henrik Ibsen’s plays to French audiences. Just as in the description of the theatre's initial performance, the majority of Lugné-Poe's stage settings were simple, non-realistic representations of line and color on canvas backdrops. He sought to create a theatre of poetry and dreams while staying true to his motto, "The word creates the decor." The staging was atmospheric and the acting stylized; costumes were usually simple and “timeless.” Some of the company's designers included

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in th ...

Maurice Denis Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with ''Les Nabis'', symbolism, a ...

, Odilon Redon, Pierre Bonnard, and Vuillard himself. On December 10, 1896, the Théâtre de l'Œuvre presented Alfred Jarry's soon legendary ''

'', at Nouveau-Théâtre, 15, rue Blanche, with actor Firmin Gémier in the title role. Jarry had finished this epochal play about human greed, cowardice, and stupidity just six months before it would shock the audiences with its unapologetic opening line, "Merdre" and its playfully theatrical, marionette-like performance style. Though Jarry affected an attitude of political indifference, his revolutionary ideas challenged assumptions about society, propriety, and existence. Brockett notes that "''Ubu Roi'' shows in all its grotesqueness a world without human decency." In this lithograph announcement by Jarry for the premiere of ''Ubu Roi'', the obese, tyrannical King Ubu appears as a shadow puppet with a segmented arm. He brandishes a scimitar in one hand and clutches a sack of gold in the other.

Temporary Closures

By 1899, the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre company had presented 51 programs and toured England, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium. In spite of this success, Lugné-Poe had come to feel that the work of the Symbolists was juvenile and limiting to his artistic development. He closed the theatre company in 1899, marking an end to the first major phase of the anti-realism movement in European theatre. Lugné-Poe revived the enterprise on December 22, 1912, with a production of Paul Claudel's ''L'Annonce faite à Marie.'' Following that were several works by the

Dada Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 1920 Dada flourished in Pari ...

ist and

Surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...

writers of the era. The group was off to a running start, but activity was interrupted again with the beginning of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in August 1914. Through their productions, tours, and critical reviews, the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre, under the direction of Lugné-Poe, had managed to influence "almost every departure from realism between 1893 and 1915." After the War, in 1919, Lugné-Poe reopened the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre--renaming the Salle Berlioz as the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre in the process--with financing from the actor Marcelle Frappa, and he ran the theatre continuously until his final retirement in 1929. Lucien Beer and Paulette Pax succeeded Lugné-Poe in 1929 and served as the theatre's directors until the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Shortly after the conflict began, Hitler conquered France and the

Vichy Regime Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...

under Jacques Hébertot made most theatres illegal in the occupied zone. After the Liberation of Paris in 1944,

Raymond Rouleau Raymond Rouleau (4 June 1904 – 11 December 1981) was a Belgian actor and film director. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1928 and 1979. He also directed 22 films between 1932 and 1981. Rouleau studied at the Royal Conservatory of B ...

rejoined Lucien Beer, and together they ran the theatre until 1951, when they were both replaced by Robert de Ribon. In 1960 Pierre Franck and Georges Herbert took over direction. They ran the theatre until 1978, when they were replaced by Georges Wilson as Artistic Director and principal scenic designer. He remained until 1995 when Gérard Maro, who had been Artistic Director of the Comédie de Paris since 1981, took over as chef of the Théâtre de l'Œuvre. He is still in charge today.

Notable Performances

* 1894: ''Annabella'', translated by

from ''

'Tis Pity She's a Whore ''Tis Pity She's a Whore'' (original spelling: ''Tis Pitty Shee's a Who'' 'ore'') is a tragedy written by John Ford. It was first performed or between 1629 and 1633, by Queen Henrietta's Men at the Cockpit Theatre. The play was first publ ...

'' by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

. * 1895: ''Les Pieds nickelés'' by

Tristan Bernard Tristan Bernard (7 September 1866 – 7 December 1947) was a French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer. Life He studied law, and after his military service, he started his career as the manager of an aluminium smelter. In the 1890s, ...

* 1896: '' Salomé'' by Oscar Wilde * 1896: ''

Ubu roi ''Ubu Roi'' (; "Ubu the King" or "King Ubu") is a play by French writer Alfred Jarry, then 23 years old. It was first performed in Paris in 1896, by Aurélien Lugné-Poe's Théâtre de l'Œuvre at the Nouveau-Théâtre (today, the Théâtre de ...

'' by Alfred Jarry, with Firmin Gémier and Harry Baur * 1897: ''Le Fardeau de la liberté'' by Tristan Bernard * 1911: ''L’Amour de Kesa'' by Robert d'Humières, directed by Lugné-Poe * 1939: ''Roi de France'' by

Maurice Rostand Maurice Rostand (26 May 1891 – 21 February 1968) was a French author, the son of the poet and dramatist Edmond Rostand and the poet Rosemonde Gérard, and brother of the biologist Jean Rostand. Rostand was a writer of poems, novels, and plays ...

, directed by Harry Baur * 1949: ''La neige était sale'' by

Georges Simenon Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (; 13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian writer. He published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, and was the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret. Early life and education ...

, adapted by Frédéric Dard, directed by

* 1949: ''Saint Parapin de Malakoff'' by Albert Vidalie, directed by Charles Bensoussan, designs by Klementieff, starring Jean Tielment, Denise Bailly, Charles Bensoussan, Chalosse, Jean Rocherot, Sylvie Pelayo, Brigitte Sabouraud, Josette Rateau, Colette Gambier, M. Valo.Cf
Base de données de l'Association de la régie théâtrale
consultée le 31 mai 2010. * 1950: ''Notre peau'' by José-André Lacour, directed by Michel Vitold * 1955: '' Un mari idéal'' n Ideal Husbandby Oscar Wilde, directed by Jean-Marie Serreau, starring Delphine Seyrig * ''Au jour le jour'' by Jean Cosmos * ''À la nuit la nuit'' by

François Billetdoux François Billetdoux (7 September 1927 – 26 November 1991) was a French dramatic author and novelist. Biography His works describe the world with a fierce humor of a somewhat burlesque style, which sometimes turns into black humor. Billetdoux w ...

* 1957: ''Vous qui nous jugez'' written and directed by Robert Hossein * 1958: ''L'Épouvantail'' by Dominique Rolin, directed by

André Barsacq André Barsacq (24 January 1909 – 8 July 1973) was a French theatre director, producer, scenic designer, and playwright. From 1940 to 1973 he was the director of the Théâtre de l'Atelier. He was the brother of Russian production designer Léo ...

, starring

Emmanuelle Riva Emmanuelle Riva (; 24 February 1927 – 27 January 2017) was a French actress, best known for her roles in the films ''Hiroshima mon amour'' (1959) and '' Amour'' (2012). Riva was nominated for a BAFTA Award for her role in ''Hiroshima mon ...

* 1962: ''Mon Faust'' by Paul Valéry, directed by Pierre Franck * 1965: ''Le Repos du septième jour'' by

Paul Claudel Paul Claudel (; 6 August 1868 – 23 February 1955) was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism. Early lif ...

, directed by Pierre Franck * 1969: ''Le Monde est ce qu'il est'' by

Alberto Moravia Alberto Moravia ( , ; born Alberto Pincherle ; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990) was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia is best known for his de ...

, directed by Pierre Franck * 1976: ''Le Scénario'' by

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an a ...

, directed by Jean Anouilh and Roland Piétri * 1977: ''Le Cours Peyol'' by Étienne Rebaudengo * 1982: ''Sarah et le Cri de la langouste'' by John Murrell, directed by Georges Wilson, starring Delphine Seyrig * 1991: ''

Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several meanings for the name ...

'' by Jean Anouilh, directed by Georges Wilson * 1998: '' Horace'' by Pierre Corneille, directed by Marion Bierry * 1998: ''Pour la galerie'' by Claude d'Anna and Laure Bonin, directed by Stephan Meldegg, with Annick Blancheteau and Jean-Luc Moreau * 1999: ''L'Amante anglaise'' by

Marguerite Duras Marguerite Germaine Marie Donnadieu (, 4 April 1914 – 3 March 1996), known as Marguerite Duras (), was a French novelist, playwright, screenwriter, essayist, and experimental filmmaker. Her script for the film '' Hiroshima mon amour'' (1959) e ...

, directed by Patrice Kerbrat, with

Suzanne Flon Suzanne Flon (28 January 1918 – 15 June 2005) was a French stage, film, and television actress. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in the 1961 film '' Thou Shalt Not Kill''. Flon also received two César Awards and two ...

Jean-Paul Roussillon Jean-Paul Roussillon (5 March 1931 – 31 July 2009) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1954 and 2008. He starred in the film '' Playing 'In the Company of Men, which was screened in the Un C ...

, Hubert Godon * 2000: ''Le Grand Retour de Boris S.'' by Serge Kribus, directed by Marcel Bluwal, with Michel Aumont,

Robin Renucci Robin Renucci (born 11 July 1956, in Le Creusot, Saône-et-Loire) is a French film and television actor and film director. Acting filmography * '' Eaux profondes'' (1981) : ''Ralph'' * ''Les Misérables'' (1982) : ''Courfeyrac'' * '' Invitatio ...

* 2003: ''Hypothèque'' by Daniel Besse, directed by Patrice Kerbrat, starring Stéphane Hillel * 2006: '' Le Gardien'' he Caretaker by Harold Pinter, directed by Didier Long, starring Robert Hirsch * 2007: ''À la porte'' t the Doorby Vincent Delecroix, directed by Marcel Bluwal, starring Michel Aumont * 2007: ''Les Mots et la Chose'' by Jean-Claude Carrière, starring Jean-Pierre Marielle, Agathe Natanson * 2007: '' L'Entretien de M. Descartes avec M. Pascal le jeune'' by Jean-Claude Brisville, directed by Daniel Mesguich, starring Daniel Mesguich and

William Mesguich William Mesguich (born 1972) is a French actor and director, the son of theatre director Daniel Mesguich. With Philippe Fenwick, he created La Compagnie de l'Étreinte in 1998. Theatre * ' by Robert Garnier * 1980 : ''Athalie'' by Racine, direc ...

* 2008: ''La Vie devant soi'' by

Romain Gary Romain Gary (; 2 December 1980), born Roman Kacew (, and also known by the pen name Émile Ajar), was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II aviator. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt under two names. He i ...

(Èmile Ajar), directed by Didier Long, starring Myriam Boyer * 2009: ''L'Antichambre'' by Jean-Claude Brisville, directed by Christophe Lidon * 2010: ''David & Edward'' by Lionel Goldstein, directed by Marcel Bluwal, starring Michel Aumont and Michel Duchaussoy * 2010: ''Les Dames du jeudi'' by

Loleh Bellon Marie Laure Viole Bellon, generally known as Loleh Bellon, (1925–1999) was a French stage and film actress as well as a playwright. In 1949, for her role in Robert Desnos' ''La Place de l'Étoile'', she was awarded the ''Prix des Jeunes comédie ...

, directed by Christophe Lidon

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Theatre De L'Oeuvre Theatres in Paris Buildings and structures in the 9th arrondissement of Paris *Symbolism Fantastic art French poetry Symbolist dramatists and playwrights Modernist theatre 19th-century theatre 20th-century theatre