La Comédie Française

Built in 1680, the Comédie Française reigns as the oldest active theater in the world. The theater is located near Palais Royale and has a secluded park adjacent to it. Rows of columns flank the grass in addition to a cool public art installation known as "Les Deux Plateaux" that once used to be a parking lot! As part of our Travel Study curriculum, we got to see a play here and experience the culture of French theater.

Originally founded by Louis XIV, the theater has a long history of displaying some of the most famous plays on one of the most prestigious stages in the modern era. The theater features a troupe of talented actors who perform exclusively here, rather than traveling groups who go to several locations. This theater was previously known as “La maison de Molière,” in honor of the most famous playwright for the Comédie Française. Soon, the lights dimmed and it was time for the play!

The play we saw was Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. Though Cyrano was a real person, this is a fictional story. The protagonist, Cyrano is in love with his cousin Roxane, but she doesn’t know. He is a talented swordsman and an eloquent poet, but considers himself too ugly for Roxane due to his abnormally large nose. For this reason, he refuses to tell her and admires her from afar. The plot also features a “play within a play,” which also helps progress the story. At one of the plays, in the audience is Christian, a young, handsome, noble who expresses his love of Roxane, which she also reciprocates. In an effort to make Roxane happy, Cyrano helps Christian woo her with love letters he writes. Christian, lacking the ability to convey his feelings to Roxane, makes a fool of himself talking to her after refusing Cyrano’s help due to his jealousy for his writing ability. This is the general gist of the story, I won’t spoil the ending for you!

During intermission, we explored a little bit of the building and tracked down Molière’s chair. The Comédie Française is known to produce some of the best renditions of the most well-known plays and tonight was no exception. The actors were incredible and the play was amazing. Even though I maybe didn’t understand everything or all the political references, it definitely gave me an appreciation for French performing arts. It was also fun to get dressed up and have a formal night with the other students and our professors.

Another famous writer, Voltaire

Paris is at the forefront of the arts – whether it be theater, opera, ballet, or any of the several museums. I would highly recommend experiencing any (or all) of these outlets. While the arts are important in the United States, it has felt different in France. For me, they seem more refined and more historic, which makes sense because several of the classics were created here in Europe. Prior to coming to the Comédie Française, I don’t think I realized the prestige and prominence of this theater. I’m grateful Travel Study has given me this experience.