Theatre Jean-Duceppe

In 1606, Marc Lescarbot presented the play, Le Théâtre de Neptune en Nouvelle-France at Port-Royal the first known public performance ever staged in New France. Little did Lescarbot know then to what extent the name Port-Royal would be associated with theatre and the performing arts a full three centuries later.

It was Jean-Louis Roux who suggested somehow recognizing the premiere performance in New France, and in 1967, 361 years after Lescarbot's pioneering play was staged, Place des Arts' second hall was officially inaugurated as Théâtre Port-Royal.

Almost a quarter of a century after that, in 1991 and in honour of the great man of the theatre, Jean Duceppe, Théâtre Port-Royal was fittingly renamed Théâtre Jean-Duceppe. And today, with over 200 performances presented each year, almost exclusively by the hall's resident company, Compagnie Jean Duceppe, Théâtre Jean-Duceppe has truly established itself as a choice venue, offering some of the finest theatre playing on any stage.

Located directly beneath Théâtre Maisonneuve, the quality of the hall's programming is enhanced by its unusual design, with its long rows of tiered seats arranged in close proximity to the exceptionally wide stage area, allowing for a unique air of intimacy and a special bond between audience and performer. Seating capacity of 765 (include the persons with reduced mobility places)