VERSAILLES, COMPIÈGNE ET FONTAINEBLEAU. À LA REDÉCOUVERTE D’UN PATRIMOINE THÉÂTRAL LONGTEMPS NÉGLIGÉ

Abstract

In France today, the only court theatres still in existence are at the royal palaces of Versailles, Compiègne and Fontainebleau. As heritage, they were neglected for a long time but are today the object of renewed interest. The stage sets which have been kept are the last surviving pieces of a collection known in French as the Menus-Plaisirs, a department of the royal administration responsible for ceremonies, events and festivities. They constitute an exceptional testimony of the theatrical arts of the nineteenth century. Thanks to the special experience gained at Versailles, Compiègne and Fontainebleau, there is now recognition and understanding of the hitherto unsuspected interest of these artifacts and of the need to pass them on. The study and inventory of these stage sets and items of stage machinery and their conservation and presentation to the public are today at the heart of a global reflection inspired by the rediscovery of this tangible and intangible heritage. This involves questions to do with how the sets were fixed to the stage, how they were lit and animated. It becomes possible to understand their theatrical potential and how they can be restored and, if necessary, completed.

Keywords

• Compiègne
• Versailles
• Fontainebleau
• authenticity
• château
• stage sets