Resumen de Théâtre et curiosités dans la France du Premier Empire: un aller-retour contrôlé de la salle à la rue
The history of theatre cannot be limited to an academic world built by powers and criticism. For centuries, fairs and tours allowed the coexistence of an official art and curiosities – waxworks shows, puppets, Chinese shadows, ventriloquists, acrobats, tamers, etc. Prohibitions sometimes encouraged their encounter – for example, between the Italian theatre and fair shows. The search for astonishment, the mixing of genres favoured it during the eighteenth century. Despite its desire to control the stages and their aesthetics, the Premier Empire cannot sell out all legacies. It must constantly manage the conflicts between its district managers and the one-night entertainers. But it can also count on them to spread popular theatrical forms, favourable to political and religious propaganda.
