The Theatre > History

On March 18, the Odéon theatre was engulfed by flames: "Fire broke out this morning, at seven o'clock, at the Odéon theatre most of which was destroyed. Two firemen perished. The cause of the fire has not yet been established." In the confusion, allegations were made that malicious intent by the former managers, Sageret and more specifically Le Page, may have been behind the disaster. The Comédie Française actors then went over to the Richelieu premises. The Odéon theatre company, some of whom were from the Montansier theatre company, remained together as a group, supported by the indefatigable director, Louis Picard, himself an author and actor, who was later appointed director of the National Opera in 1807.

The Odéon theatre was restored by Chalgrin and opened again in June 1808 as the "Théâtre de Sa Majesté l'Impératrice et Reine" [Theatre of Her Majesty the Empress and Queen]. Napoleon had cleverly charged the renovation expenses to the Senate by handing the theatre over as the property of the Senate. The Upper House constantly called for this "useless annex, not befitting the dignity of the House", to be removed. The management of the theatre was then granted to Alexandre Duval for a nine year period: "The managers shall only use the hall for performances for the Empress with the Comédie Française and Opéra Bouffe. And so the Odéon moved back and forth following the movements of the political pendulum.