Le Théâtre Pigalle

The Théâtre Pigalle, opened on June 20, 1929, was financed by Philippe de Rothschild (1902-1988) and built on land owned by his father Henri (1872-1947). Henri and Philippe's ambition was to construct the most modern theatre in the world. The architects, Charles Siclis, Henri Just and Pierre Blum, were sent through Europe to research the latest technical developments in theatre design. Although the venue had been "furnished with four elevators, an immense switchboard, and a vast amount of complicated theatrical machinery", directors were to find it challenging to make it work theatrically. Graphic artist Jean Carlu designed two well-known posters emphasizing its machine-age image. André Antoine was hired as art director, and Gabriel Astruc as manager. Antoine was replaced after two years with Gaston Baty. The 1500-seat venue opened with Sacha Guitry's piece, Histories of France. The great German impresario Max Reinhardt staged a production of Die Fleidermaus in November 1933. Through the 1930s and the war, directors and performers included Louis Jouvet, the brothers Émile Isola and Vincent Isola, Raymond Rouleau, and many others.  After the failure of Claude Vermorel's Thermidor in 1948, the theatre closed its doors. The site was sold in 1958, and an automobile garage built on the site.