The theater under the Revolution and the Empire in province: scenes and touring, construction of careers, reception of directories – THEREPSICORE

Recent research on theatrical life in Revolutionary and Napoleonic France focuses on conditions of the performances (aesthetic of the buildings, rooms, decors, costumes as well as audience’s origin and attitudes), on repertoires’ diversity and specificity, which are experiencing major evolution at that time (generic deregulation in Revolutionary France, new genres like “theatre carnavalesque” or melodrama…), and on interactions between theatrical activity and political or journalistic spheres. Though, one must note that the majority of the studies concentrate on Parisian companies’ activity and that the provincial theatrical like remains but largely unrecognized. The Therepsicore project, led by a multidisciplinary team made of historians of the French Revolution and of the Napoleonic Empire attached to the CHEC (University Clermont-Ferrand), specialists of the theatre in France and abroad attached to the CELIS (University Clermont-Ferrand) and to the CELLF 17th-18th century (University Paris IV) aims to fill this deficiency by putting at the researchers’ disposal a database which will compile the theatres, companies’ staff and repertoires between 1791 and 1813. This database will be elaborated mostly with the help of the reports available in the most important theatrical cities (Lille, Rouen, Rennes, Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon, Strasbourg...) and their hinterland without ignoring the departments created in the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation and in the “Républiques sœurs”. This will allow to achieve a better understanding of the performances’ conditions (creation and closing of theatres, companies’ composition and itinerary) and also the path of individual carriers and the nature of the repertoires and their reception. The publication of a synthesis article in an international journal and 3 conferences (“Transcription, adaptation and translations of plays between France and other countries in Revolutionary and Napoleonic Europe”, “Circulation of provincial theatres staff and drama models in revolutionary and Napoleonic France”, “companies’ direction, political connivances and concurrence between provincial cities in revolutionary and Napoleonic France”) are planned.