The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History It owes its creation to the theatre director Mademoiselle Montansier (Marguerite Brunet). Imprisoned for debt in 1803 and frowned upon by the government, a decree of 1806 ordered her company to leave the Théâtre du Palais-Royal which then bore the name of "Variétés". The decree's aim was to move out Montansier's troupe to make room for the company from the neighbouring Théâtre-Français, which had stayed empty even as the Variétés-Montansier had enjoyed immense public favour. Strongly unhappy about having to leave the theatre by 1 January 1807, the 77-year-old Montansier gained an audience with Napoleon himself and received his help and protection. She thus reunited the "Société des Cinq", which directed her troupe, in order to found a new theatre, the one which stands at the side of the passage des Panoramas. It was inaugurated on 24 June 1807. The theatre plays a prominent role in Émile Zola's 1880 novel, Nana, as it is the theatre in which the title character achieves celebrity in the opening chapters. Other activities In 2012 the theatre began to host technical conferences such as dotJS or dotScale. Premieres at the theatre 1833: La Modiste et le Lord, 2-act opera by Auguste Pilati 1856: L'Amour et Psyché, 1 act opera by Auguste Pilati 1864: La belle Hélène, opéra bouffe by Jacques Offenbach, libretto by Meilhac and Halévy 1867: La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, opéra bouffe by Jacques Offenbach, libretto by Meilhac and Halévy 1868: La Périchole, opéra bouffe by Jacques Offenbach, libretto by Meilhac and Halévy 1869: Les brigands, opéra bouffe by Jacques Offenbach, libretto by Meilhac and Halévy 1883: Mam'zelle Nitouche, vaudeville-operette by Hervé 1907: L'Enfant prodigue, the first feature-length European film, directed by Michel Carré, fils 1923: Ciboulette, operetta by Reynaldo Hahn, libretto by Robert de Flers and Francis de Croisset 1946: César by Marcel Pagnol, after his film of the same name Directors 1807–19 : Mlle Montansier 1820–30 : Mira Brunet 1930–36 : Armand Dartois 1836 : Jean-François Bayard 1837–39 : Philippe Pinel-Dumanoir 1839 : Jouslin de la Salle 1840 : M. Leroy 1840–47 : Nestor Roqueplan 1847–49 : M. Morin 1849–51 : M. Thibeaudeau-Milon (M. Bowes, proprietor) 1851–54 : M. Carpier (M. Bowes, proprietor) 1855 : MM. Laurencin & Zacheroni (M. Bowes, proprietor) 1855