Théâtre de l'Odéon: Figaro, Fire and the Occupation of 1968
Why is it significant?
Stand in the curved square and face the theatre: a great stone block fronted by eight columns, with nothing on top but a flat roof, almost like a Roman temple. The houses around you were designed together with it, so the whole square feels like the theatre's front row.
Key Facts
| Place | Théâtre de l'Odéon: Figaro, Fire and the Occupation of 1968 |
|---|---|
| Address | Place de l'Odéon, 75006 Paris, France |
| Geo Coordinates | 48.84940, 2.33870 |
| Part of Walk | Ink, Coffee and Revolution: A Literary Walk Through Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand in the curved square and face the theatre: a great stone block fronted by eight columns, with nothing on top but a flat roof, almost like a Roman temple. The houses around you were designed together with it, so the whole square feels like the theatre's front row.
It was built between 1779 and 1782 for the actors of the Comédie-Française, by the architects Marie-Joseph Peyre and Charles De Wailly. Queen Marie-Antoinette came to the opening. And two years later, in 1784, it hosted one of the most explosive first nights in French history: Beaumarchais's The Marriage of Figaro.
The king had banned the play for years, because in it a clever servant outwits his noble master and asks what the aristocrat has ever done to deserve his privileges. When it was finally allowed, the crowds crushed against the doors, and the play ran for dozens of performances. Five years later came the Revolution, and many people have since said that Figaro fired the first shot.
The building has burned twice, in 1799 and in 1818, and each time it was rebuilt. Then, in May 1968, it caught a different kind of fire. On the fifteenth of May, students and actors stormed in and occupied it for about a month, turning the auditorium into a non-stop public debate where anyone could take the stage. The theatre's director, the great actor Jean-Louis Barrault, tried to talk with them. A few months later, the government dismissed him.
Today it is the Odéon, Théâtre de l'Europe, staging plays from across the continent. Walk along the left side of the building and look under the arcades: for a long time booksellers kept stalls here, and literary Paris browsed between the pillars. Then cross Rue de Vaugirard and go through the gates into the Luxembourg Garden. Just inside on your left, a long shady pool is waiting.