The "Odéon-Théâtre de France" was placed in the hands of Jean-Louis Barrault; the authority to direct it had been granted by André Malraux, Minister of State in charge of Cultural Affairs. "Pursuing beauty without shunning difficulty" was the ambition for the Renaud-Barrault theatre company and was also adopted for the Théâtre de France.
JEAN - LOUIS BARRAULT : "The life of this most beautiful establishment has been tormented. And yet its vocation can clearly be seen, that being to promote theatre, present new works and focus on youth. This destiny has thus encountered battles, scandals and upheavals. There at the crossroads associated with Danton, it has always been the first to be affected by any social uprising. it is covered in scars."
The theatre officially opened with a performance of Paul Claudel's "Tête d'Or", attended by General de Gaulle which was a symbolic assertion of the determination to promote major contemporary authors. Barrault's programme included Claudel, works by Ionesco ("Rhinoceros" in 1960), Beckett ("Oh les beaux jours, in 1963) and Duras ("Des journées entières dans les arbres" in 1965) directed either by himself, Jean-Marie Serreau or Roger Blin. The theatre company toured the world and the Odéon presented works premièred by the Théâtre des Nations.
In 1965, Malraux officially unveiled the ceiling painted by André Masson which was a flamboyant portrayal of figures from mythology, inspired by Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Kleist, Shakespeare and Claudel.
