Welcome to the CESAR database

The database contains information on all aspects of the French theatre between 1600 and 1800. The scope is all-inclusive, covering plays, operas, ballets, fairground productions, street performances and other incidental theatrical entertainments of all kinds, whether they were performed or published or merely described in contemporary documents.

To interrogate the database, use the links in the top section of the menu on the left-hand side of the page. The Help page (see the bar towards the top of the page) provides guidance on navigating your way around.

The second section of the menu contains links to the supplementary materials (complete online versions of key compendia such as Parfaict and Léris, a corpus of contemporary reviews, police reports and treatises). To enter the Imagebank, click on Images.