Théâtre de la Michodière

The Théâtre de la Michodière is a theatre building and performing arts venue, located at 4 bis, rue de La Michodière in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. Built by Auguste Bluysen in 1925 in Art Deco style, it has a tradition of showing boulevard theatre. On the site of the Hotel de Lorge, sold in lots, the rue de la Michodiere opened in 1778. Around the place where the Gaillon gate stood at the enclosure of Louis XIII, in 1925, the architect Auguste Bluysen built a theatre in the Art Deco style. Decorated by Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, the red and gold auditorium could accommodate 800 spectators, but in the 21st century, it has only 700 seats left. Unlike the West End, where the activities of "bricks and mortar" and producers tend to be separate, Parisian commercial theatres are producing houses. Management decides on the artistic policy, and shows are financed by the theatre, albeit sometimes in co-production with a touring management that hopes to profit from a Parisian success to take a show out on tour. Inaugurated on 16 November 1925 under the management of Gustave Quinson, from 1927 to 1977 it was run by actor-managers who made the success of its shows: Victor Boucher, Yvonne Printemps, Pierre Fresnay, François Périer, with works by Édouard Bourdet, André Roussin, Jean Anouilh, Marcel Achard and Françoise Dorin. By public demand, the theatre specialised in boulevard plays, as evidenced by the many old posters that could be seen on its walls. The theatre was co-directed by Fresnay and Printemps until his death in 1975. Printemps remained alone at the head of the theatre, until she died in 1977. The theatre went into receivership, and after a brief period of being run by ATECA association, was bought from the receivers in September 1981 by Jacques Crepineau, who, unlike his predecessors, was not an actor, but still performed the role of artistic director. In April 2014, vente-privee.com bought the theatre. Richard Caillat and Stéphane Hillel were nominated as co-directors.