The Comédie-Française is an institution of remarkable continuity, one of the few French institutions to have remained intact through passing centuries and changing political regimes. Yet it has had an eventful history, beginning with the merging of two rival troupes, as decreed by King Louis XIV in a lettre de cachet, the Ancien Régime’s strongest act of authority, which left no hope for any recourse. The revolutionary period, when the troupe was temporarily dissolved, marked the only real interruption. But the Comédie-Française was all the more strongly restored by Napoleon, who granted it the statutes by which it still operates today. It has always been closely tied to politics, as also reflected by its history, which is replete with moments when the upheavals of French society have played out on its stages.

Over the course of successes, battles and setbacks, armed with traditions and audacity, carried by its great actors, guided by its administrators, with the passion of the live performance and the danger of the stage, the Comédie-Française has spanned three tumultuous centuries of existence. The history of this theatre is rooted in the triple life of its troupe, its repertoire and its stages.

The Comédie-Française was born during the reign of LouisXIV, in a century marked by the centralising passion of a king deeply enamoured with spectacle.

Informations pratiques

Exposition réalisée par la Bibliothèque-Musée de la Comédie-Française.
Location : 900 € H.T. / mois (envoi des 83 fichiers numériques .jpg)
Pour tout renseignement, s’adresser à : Mélanie Petetin au 01 44 58 14 78
- melanie.petetin@comedie-francaise.org
Copyright à indiquer sous les reproductions : ©Coll. Comédie-Française
L’utilisation de ces images est strictement limitée à cette exposition. Toute autre utilisation nécessitera une autre demande auprès de la bibliothèque-musée de la Comédie-Française.