Theater of the Cité, National drama center in Toulouse, France
The Theater of the Cité is a theater building in Toulouse that houses a large main hall, a mid-sized house, and a smaller studio space. The building stands between two squares near the city center, making it easy to reach on foot from many parts of town.
The theater grew out of France's effort to spread theater beyond Paris, a movement that took shape in the 1940s. It traces back to the Grenier de Toulouse, a company founded in Toulouse just after the Second World War.
The theater is known for programming contemporary works, and many productions are created specifically for this stage rather than brought in from elsewhere. This gives the place a working quality that sets it apart from venues that mainly host touring shows.
The building sits between two central squares and is easy to reach on foot from the surrounding neighborhoods. Tickets can be booked online, and the program changes often throughout the year, so it is worth checking what is on before your visit.
During construction work on the building, workers uncovered the remains of ancient Roman walls beneath the site. This means the ground under the theater has been in use for close to two thousand years before any performance ever took place there.
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