Théâtre des Bleus de Bar, Historical theatre in Bar-le-Duc, France.
The Théâtre des Bleus de Bar is an old theatre on rue Saint-Jean in Bar-le-Duc, built in 1900 by public works contractor Louis Morel for wine merchant Claude-Marcel Mayeur. The stage was later levelled with the orchestra level by a wooden floor installed for gymnastics, and the auditorium seats were removed. A fête hall was added on the terrace in 1942.
Built in 1900 by public works contractor Louis Morel on the initiative of wine merchant Claude-Marcel Mayeur, the theatre opened in 1902 as the Nouveau Théâtre. In 1906 it was sold at auction to creditors and acquired by seven Barisiens for the Bleus de Bar, who renamed it Théâtre Jeanne d'Arc. During the Occupation it became the Theater Soldaten, with a swastika eagle above the stage.
The theatre's name comes from the Bleus de Bar, a Bar-le-Duc association combining cultural and sporting activities, which acquired the building in 1906. Its own troupes, founded by chaplain Abbé Michel, staged about fifty shows between 1920 and 1939, including L'Avare and a Michel Strogoff that required around a hundred extras.
Access to the building and viewing it may require prior arrangement since it is a protected site undergoing restoration work. Visitors should check with the local town hall or cultural offices about current visiting conditions and any guided tour opportunities.
In 1939 the Germans occupied the theatre, renamed it "Theater Soldaten" and mounted a large swastika eagle above the stage. It is said that thirty escaped prisoners hid in its dressing rooms.
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