The Theatre > History

GASTON BATY, speaking on Firmin Gémier, referred to "his intelligence and enthusiasm; he stirred all those who worked with him. A flame lit up his eyes, a gentle smile was on his lips. He was a miracle, every day."

Paul Gavault took over from André Antoine and remained in charge until 1921, throughout World War I, endeavouring to maintain the life of the theatre and the entitlements of the actors. He was a competent administrative director and left a thriving theatre for his successor, Firmin Gémier, one of Antoine's faithful companions. Gémier set about modernising the building, in line with his own artistic concerns, introducing a new lighting control board and doing away with the spotlights. But this did not mean that he stopped acting and his performance of Shylock in the "Merchant of Venice" has gone down in the annals of history.


At his initiative the Théâtre National Populaire was set up in 1920, and he founded the "Société Universelle du Théâtre", his main interest being to provide support for developments with theatre in France, opening up the repertoire to new plays by living playwrights and to foreign classics. For the audience, Gémier extended the subscription series and always attempted to have the lowest ticket prices in Paris.