Théâtre du Vieux Colombier

The Théâtre du Vieux Colombier features a stark, unadorned facade of dark brick and stone that interrupts the polished limestone of the surrounding streets. Jacques Copeau founded this space in nineteen thirteen inside a former carpenter's workshop. He tore out the proscenium arch and the fancy decorations common to the era, favoring a bare stage where the actor mattered more than the scenery. Even today, the audience sits unusually close to the performers, just as Copeau intended for his radical experiment in theater.