Théâtre du Luxembourg
The Théâtre du Luxembourg , originally Théâtre forain du Luxembourg , was a theater on Rue Madame in the 6th arrondissement in Paris.
The theater was popularly called Théâtre Bobino , because the founder, a clown and puppeteer, had this name. But there is no connection with the later founded Bobino performance hall .
history
Bobino was a street performer. He and his small troupe played around the Jardin du Luxembourg, mostly in front of the entrance on Rue Fleurus. One day, in 1817, a patron appeared. A certain D'Aubignosse, an ex-officer of the imperial army and local politician in Hamburg, opened up a plot of land that was suitable for running a theater. It was on the corner of Rue Madame and Rue Fleurus, not far from the Jardin du Luxembourg, where Bobino was already known. It wasn't entirely selfless, of course, but an investment. However, since the purchase price was too high for D'Aubignosse, he leased the property for half of the amount requested, for a period of 50 years.
In the same year the theater opened its doors under the name Théâtre forain du Luxembourg. It was a simple building with no stucco or ornaments on the facade, which housed a simple hall, without any decoration. In the interior there was only the parquet, but no boxes or galleries. But the entrance fees were very low. There were three to four performances, in the style of a fair with acrobats and clowneries, which were always opened and directed by Bobino as the emcee . The company was crowned with success, but D'Aubignosse wanted more and found partners who should finance his project to enlarge the theater, which was also tackled in 1822. Above all, it was the desire not to perform a fair, but rather pantomimes or even vaudevilles.
The theater, which in the meantime was only called Théâtre du Luxembourg, was only licensed to perform two-person plays at that time, although some extras were permitted. With all sorts of trickery, four speaking roles were established and the opportunity for dramas and vaudevilles was given. However, Bobino had to exercise extreme caution so that he did not fare like Odéon , who had to pay a heavy fine because, despite the lack of permission, four-person pieces were performed there.
After the July Revolution , conditions for the small theaters and also for the authors improved drastically. It became possible to stage full-fledged plays and so the Théâtre du Luxembourg hosted the debuts of Louis François Clairville or Molé-Gentilhomme .
In 1836, the house was leased to the operators of two other theaters, the Opéra-Comique and the Théâtre Beaumarchais , and business prospered. In 1845 the theater was thoroughly rebuilt. The ceiling height was not high enough for two tiers of boxes, so the floor of the parquet was lowered. Then the stage was modernized and the hall got new equipment. Furthermore, the facade with the main entrance to Rue Madame was rebuilt.
In 1846 the full license was granted as a theater company. All kinds of revues, operas, vaudevilles and comedies could be performed, which ensured economic success.
Exactly after 50 years, in 1867, when the lease expired, the theater was closed and demolished.
Trivia
When the theater was expanded in 1845, the roof was neglected and so it happened that the roof of the stage was covered by a strong gust of wind during a performance. It was pouring rain and the actors wanted to stop their performance, but the audience asked for the performance to continue. Then a courageous actor took an umbrella, stepped to the edge of the stage and gave a powerful and pathetic monologue. When the curtain came down at the end of this, frenetic applause rose.
literature
- Victor Poupin: Monograph des théâtres de Paris, Paris: Marpon , 1863, p. 1ff. Digitized
- Paul Guérin: Dictionnaire des dictionnaires, 1895, p. 55, digitized
Web links
Coordinates: 48 ° 50 ′ 49.1 ″ N , 2 ° 19 ′ 54.1 ″ E