Theatre of Belleville

The Théâtre de Belleville features a marquee with bold, glowing letters that contrast sharply against its unassuming, flat street facade. It stands on a site where a cafe-concert once operated in the nineteenth century, serving the working-class residents of the neighborhood. In nineteen sixty-seven, the space transformed into a theater that eventually became a testing ground for experimental playwrights. During the eighties, it nearly vanished after a period of decay, saved only when local performers rallied to renovate the aging stage themselves.