On June 27, 1794, the Théâtre de l'égalité [Theatre of Equality] was established "by and for the people" on premises which were transformed to make an egalitarian auditorium draped in blue, white and red. Once Robespierre fell, the actors previously with the Comédie Française were free and returned triumphantly to their theatre in August 1794, but with the combination of different groups of actors, things fell apart and the theatre closed down in December of the same year. The auditorium then became a venue for lively political meetings.
In 1796, the Théâtre Français was named "Odéon", taken from the "Odeum" of ancient times where people would gather to sing, or declaim and chant speeches. A decree from the Directoire, dated July 13, 1796, handed over the Théâtre Français to entrepreneurs named Poupart-Dorefeuille & Co. for the purpose of setting up a national theatre. "The Odeum is an establishment intended to shape a new generation of practitioners of the dramatic arts, producing not only actors, but also tragic and comic poets, in other words, to bring new life to all the talents which can enhance theatre in France." The endeavour soon collapsed and all that was left for posterity was the Greek name of the theatre. The lease was granted to a former banker, Sageret, who was the first person to divide the Théâtre Français into two sections: one in the rue de la Loi ("Richelieu") and the other by the Luxembourg palace and gardens ("Odéon"), although he did not allocate the actors solely to one of the two theatres. But Sageret too was to abandon the task when confronted with financial problems.
