Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The theatre of Mathurins, located 36 rue des Mathurins in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, was built in 1897 and inaugurated in 1898. Its Italian-style room today has 386 seats. The name of the theatre comes from Rue des Mathurins, itself named in reference to the religious order of the Mathurines, which owned a garden and a farm at this site since 1246. At the beginning of the 19th century, the street was opened between Boulevard Malesherbes and the Paris Opera, near an old cemetery where the victims of the fireworks of the marriage of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were buried, as well as the sovereigns after their execution in 1793.

In 1893, the site housed a laudable salon, transformed in 1897-1898 by architects Salvan and Rochet into a Mathurine room. Inaugurated on October 10, 1898, the theatre was first directed by Marguerite Deval, singer and fanciful, who became its owner. Sacha Guitry presented her first play in 1902, and the theatre changed its name several times: "Théâtre de Monsieur" (1910), "Mathurins Nouveaux" (1911), and "Théâtre des Mathurins" in 1912. Closed during the First World War, he reopened in 1919 under the impulse of Guitry, who had a bar-room built there and renamed it "Sacha-Guitry Theatre".

In 1922, architect Charles Siclis undertook major works, modifying the decoration and expanding the hall from 500 to 700 places. The modernist façade, on a 19th century building, dates from this period. The theatre was then directed by notable figures such as René Saunier (1927), who invited Georges and Ludmilla Pitoëff, or Marcel Herrand and Jean Marchat (1939-1953), who mounted plays by Anouilh, Camus or Ibsen. In 1994, its façade was classified as a Historic Monument. Today, it remains an emblematic place of Parisian private theatre, directed since 2019 by Dominique Bergin, Pierre Callegari and Louis-Michel Colla.

The theatre hosted major creations, such as Nono de Sacha Guitry (1905), La Sauvage de Jean Anouilh (1938), or Haute Surveillance de Jean Genet (1949). It was also a place of innovation, with directed by Gaston Baty in the 1920s or contemporary adaptations such as The Pest of Albert Camus in 2011. His eclectic repertoire, ranging from classical (Molière, Shakespeare) to modern (Ionesco, Beckett), reflects his central role in Parisian cultural life.

The direction of the theatre has often evolved, passing into the hands of committed artists. Rika Radifé (1953-1981) programmed authors like Pirandello or Monsterlant, while Gérard Caillaud (1984-1997) and Julien Vartet (1997-2000) diversified the proposals with contemporary creations and one-man-shows. In 2010, the theatre joined the network of Associated Parisian Theatres, consolidating its place in the French theatre landscape.

The facade of the theatre, inscribed at the Historical Monuments in 1994, bears witness to its architectural heritage. The building, although modernized, retains 19th century elements, integrated into the current structure. Today, the Mathurine theatre remains a living place, combining historical heritage and contemporary creation, while paying tribute to its prestigious past through commemorative plaques, such as the one dedicated to Georges and Ludmilla Pitoëff.

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