Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, Theater in 10th arrondissement of Paris, France.
The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin stands at 18 Boulevard Saint-Martin, its pale stone facade topped by a carved frieze reading "THEATRE DE LA PORTE ST MARTIN". A large arch encloses a small-paned window between two diamond-patterned glass panels, and four standing figures are carved into the pilasters flanking the three entrance bays. Red neon spells out "Porte Saint Martin" above the doors.
Nicolas Lenoir designed the original building in 1781 after a fire destroyed an earlier performance venue nearby. Following its destruction during the Paris Commune in 1871, architect Oscar de la Chardonnière rebuilt it with redesigned interiors.
The theatre takes its name from the Porte Saint-Martin, a triumphal arch on the boulevard that replaced a gate of the Charles V wall. Its facade, rebuilt in 1873, carries three sculpted figures by Jacques-Hyacinthe Chevalier representing Tragedy, Drama and Comedy, and a carved plaque reading "DRAME". The repertoire has ranged from melodrama to the romantic dramas of Victor Hugo.
The theatre stands at 18 boulevard Saint-Martin, in the 10th arrondissement, a short walk from the Porte Saint-Martin arch. The facade is set back behind a row of street trees, and the three entrance bays sit at ground level beneath the red neon sign. The building is inscribed as a monument historique.
The building hosted the premiere of Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac in 1897, featuring the renowned actor Constant Coquelin. That production became one of the most celebrated French plays of its era and cemented the theater's place in Parisian cultural history.
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