Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The National Conservatoire supérieur d'art dramatique (CNSAD) originated in the Conservatoire de musique et de déclamation, established in 1795 from the former École royale de chanting et de déclamation (1784). Originally, declamation was taught as a component of music training. It was only in 1806 that a decree established a separate teaching for dramatic art, although actors still shared events with musicians until the mid-19th century. In 1911, the conservatory left the Hotel des Menus-Plaisirs, before returning in 1946 after its split with the Conservatory of Music.

The official separation between music and dramatic art took place on 7 October 1946, giving birth to the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art, independent. Located in its historic premises on Rue du Conservatoire (former Rue Bergère), the establishment became superior in 1968 under the direction of Antoine Vitez. In 1943, the walls of the former conservatory were decorated with three panels painted by Maurice Brianchon and his wife Margueritte Louppe, testifying to his artistic anchoring.

Today, the CNSAD is a public institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, integrated into the PSL University. Its teaching, combining tradition and modernity, takes place in the Hotel des Menus-Plaisirs, where the restored theatre now hosts the students' workshops. Since 1971, the Young National Theatre (JTN) has been accompanying young graduates in their professional integration, in partnership with the national theatre of Strasbourg. CNSAD has trained generations of leading actors in French theatre and cinema.

The Board of Directors of the CNSAD is chaired by officials appointed by decree, such as Hervé-Adrien Metzger (2012), Hortense Archambault (2015-2021), or Anne Loiret (since 2021). The director, appointed for three years, is assisted by a study council. The premises, classified for their history, also house wall decors of the 1940s, recalling the link between heritage and contemporary creation.

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