The Athénée Louis-Jouvet Theater was originally a theater inaugurated in 1864, but elsewhere in Paris, on Boulevard Saint Germain. Two years later, it became the Théâtre Cluny. Then, over the next 15 years, a dozen theaters were called Athénée, for a few months or a few years. In particular, the one on rue Scribe, built in 1866 by architect Charles Cambon, a new 775-seat auditorium.
From Eden to the contemporary Athénée
L'Éden-Théâtre, inaugurated on January 7, 1883, was a mythical place, a colossal edifice built on rue Boudreau in the style of a Hindu temple, a bazaar from the Thousand and One Nights that was both fairytale-like and exotic, "a prodigy of originality, magnificence and comfort" in the words of a chronicler of the time. Eden, however, was short-lived. Closed several times, transformed and then renamed Grand-Théâtre for a time, l'Éden finally disappeared.
It was on these questionable foundations that Victor Koning commissioned architect Stanislas Loison to build a charming little theater, which he inaugurated in 1893 on New Year's Eve as the Comédie-Parisienne.
It was very popular with the public, whose main attraction was its delight. The new theatre struggled to get off the ground, with the death of its founder and director Victor Koning on October 1, 1894, during its first year of operation. It was Jules Lerville, former director of the Renaissance, who took La comédie parisienne into consideration and wished to transform it once again to associate it with the former glory of the Athénée-comique on rue Scribe. To this end, he had the facade dismantled and relocated to adorn the entrance to the Square Opéra in front of the Comédie-parisienne. This was a kind of first vestibule to welcome the public, with the idea, no doubt, of reinforcing the intimacy of the theatrical space through this new access, cut off from the urban bustle of the surrounding streets.
Around a century after these renovations, a few traces still remain above the auditorium's dome: a ceiling decorated with red, black and brown Indian motifs, the last incongruous and moving vestiges of the Éden-Théâtre of yesteryear.
The final inauguration of the Athénée Louis-Jouvet Theater
The final inauguration of the venue under the name Athénée took place in 1896, the year that appears on the theater's pediment.
It was also in 1896 that the building underwent its last major transformation under the direction of Paul Fouquiau, when the façade was moved from rue Boudreau to the square de l'Opéra, as mentioned above.
Athénée Louis-Jouvet Theater, a listed Italian-style theater
One of the most beautiful Italian-style theaters in Paris, the Théâtre de l'Athénée was listed as a historic monument on December 22, 1995, and renovated in 1996.
The Athénée Louis-Jouvet Theater: an artistic heritage
The Athénée's architectural riches are complemented by an invaluable artistic heritage: the figure of Louis Jouvet. He directed the theater from 1934 until his death in 1951. He had a profound influence on the place, which bears his name in tribute.
This great popular actor, who was very active in the cinema, was above all a man of the theater. Before becoming the director and actor we know today, he performed all aspects of this art form: stagehand, costume designer, prop maker, painter and lighting designer.
In particular, he created L'École des femmes with the help of visual artist Christian Bérard, who invented the "opening walls" set to represent both the walls of Agnès's house and the garden and public square where much of the action takes place.
Pierre Bergé donates the theater to the state in 1962
In 1977, Pierre Bergé bought the Athénée Louis-Jouvet theater, which he ran at a loss until 1982. Under Pierre Bergé's innovative and eclectic management, a small theatre named Christian-Bérard, after the famous set designer, was opened in the attic of the Athénée, devoted mainly to experimental theater.
The Théâtre de l'Athénée is sold to the State in 1982, for a symbolic franc (with accumulated losses?). The Athénée became a public theater. It's worth noting that Pierre Bergé is politically very much on the left (a friend of François Mitterrand), while Jack Lang is Minister of Culture at the time.
Note:
Pierre Bergé was closely associated with François Mitterrand and left-wing views. Of modest origins, his fortune is nevertheless estimated at 120 million Euros in 2011 and 180 million 5 years later by Challenges magazine.
His friendships enabled him to sell Maison Saint-Laurent to Elf-Sanofi (an oil company nationalized by the left) in 1993 at a very high profit (judged by some to be excessive), but also to be condemned for insider trading in 1994 by the Commission des Opérations de Bourse (COB). He also had disputes with the editors of the newspaper Le Monde, of which he became a majority shareholder in 2010.
The Athénée Louis-Jouvet Theater today
From 1982 to 1993, Josyane Horville took over as director, inviting young directors to work with her, resulting in an abundance of theater.
Patrice Martinet succeeded as director of the Athénée on July 1, 1993. He asserted a new artistic policy, asserting two fundamental characteristics: the literary and dramatic quality of the texts represented, and the pre-eminence of acting.
The Athénée celebrated its centenary in 1996. Patrice Martinet seized the opportunity to launch a major restoration campaign. The aim was to restore the splendor of its architecture and décor, as well as its stage equipment. The entire building was completely refurbished, the stage housing renovated, the sound system rebuilt, the orchestra pit rediscovered and enlarged, the auditorium redecorated, the baths and dressing rooms brought back to life, the electricity and lighting completely changed, the parterre seats restored and the rest of the furniture rebuilt identically.
In recent seasons, the theater has welcomed, among others, Philippe Caubère, Fabrice Luchini, Philippe Calvario, Valère Novarina, Jean-Marie Villégier, Marcel Bozonnet, Joël Jouanneau, Daniel Mesguich, Claude Stratz, Jacques Lassalle, François Rancillac, Hans Peter Cloos, Niels Arestrup, Zabou Breitman, Dominique Valadié, Michel Fau, Hugues Quester, Pierre Vaneck, Catherine Rich, Édith Scob, François Marthouret, Nathalie Richard, Gilles Arbona, Michel Didym, Jean-Luc Lagarce, la troupe acte6...
In 2021, Olivier Poubelle, Olivier Mantei and Bernard Le Masson became owners of the theater, with Olivier Poubelle taking over management. While respecting the spirit of the place as a laboratory, the theater now gives pride of place to strong artistic encounters and creation, with a view to opening up to a wide audience.
Add a review