Theatre Alfred Jarry

The Theatre Alfred Jarry was founded in January 1926 by Antonin Artaud with Robert Aron and Roger Vitrac.[1] The Theatre Alfred Jarry acted as a theatre company which was primarily influenced by Surrealism and Theatre of the Absurd, and would become an influence in Theatre of Cruelty. The theatre was named after Alfred Jarry, who is most known for creating Ubu Roi. The Theatre Alfred Jarry staged four productions between June 1927 and January 1929. The theatre was short-lived, but was attended by an enormous range of European artists, including Arthur Adamov, André Gide, and Paul Valéry.[1]^:249

Theatre Alfred Jarry

Le Théâtre Alfred-Jarry
Formation	January, 1926
Founders	Antonin Artaud, Robert Aron, and Roger Vitrac
Dissolved	July, 1929
Type	Theatre companies
Purpose	Publication and performance of works member to and inspired by Surrealism, Theatre of the Absurd and Theatre of Cruelty
Location	Paris, France
Key people	Antonin Artaud, Robert Aron, Roger Vitrac, Rene Allendy, Yvonne Allendy

Productions

• On the 1st and 2nd of June 1927, the first production of the theatre was staged at the Théâtre de Grenelle.[2]^:33 It featured Antonin Artaud's Ventre brûlé; ou La Mère folle (Burnt Belly, or the Mad Mother), Roger Vitrac's Les Mystères de l’amour (The Mysteries of Love), and Robert Aron's Gigogne.[1]
• On 14 January 1928, the second production of the theatre was staged at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées.[2]^:34 It featured a screening of Vsevolod Pudovkin's 1926 film Mother, and a performance of the last act of Paul Claudel's Le Partage de midi.[1]
• On the 2nd and 9th of June 1928, the theatre staged August Strindberg's A Dream Play at the théâtre de L'Avenue.[2]^:33
• On the 24th and 29th of December 1928 and the 5th of January 1929, the theatre staged its final production, Roger Vitrac's Victor; ou, Le pouvoir aux les enfants at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées.[2]^:34

The theatre advertised that they would produce Artaud's play Jet de sang in their 1926–1927 season, but it was never mounted and was not premiered until 40 years later.

Notable Members

• Antonin Artaud - Founder, writer and creative director.
• Robert Aron - Founder, producer for all four productions.[1]
• Roger Vitrac - Founder and writer.
• Yvonne Allendy - Treasurer. Yvonne also took up the role of the creation of promotional materials, such as posters and invitations.[3]
• René Allendy - Investor. René Allendy was a friend of Artaud, and took interest in his work. René Allendy and his wife decided to help fund the Theatre Alfred Jarry, and raised 3,000 francs as an initial investment for the theatre.[4]

Locations

• The first set of productions was held at The Théâtre de Grenelle, which is no longer standing but once stood at 53 Rue de la Croix Nivert, Paris, France.[4]

• The second production was held at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.[2]^:34
• The third set of productions were held at the Théâtre de l'Avenue.[4]
• The fourth set of productions were held at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.[4]

References

1. Jannarone, Kimberly (2005). "The Theatre before Its Double: Artaud Directs in the Alfred Jarry Theatre". Theatre Survey. 46 (2): 247–273. doi:10.1017/S0040557405000153. ISSN 1475-4533.
2. Artaud, Antonin (1999-01-01). Collected Works, Volume 2. Alma Classics. ISBN 978-0-7145-0172-7.
3. "Ressource "Allendy, Yvonne (1890-1935)"". IMEC. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
4. "The Alfred Jarry Theatre". Association de la Régie Théâtrale. Association de la Régie Théâtrale. Retrieved 5 December 2019.