The school was founded in 1925 by
René Simon(1898–1971) who was in charge it until 1971. It was then taken over by former pupil Rosine Margat, and since 2010 it has been run by Chantal Brière. Formerly situated in the
Invalides in the
7th arrondissement of Paris, in 1983 they moved to the 11th arrondissement close to the
Père-Lachaise Cemetery. Students are required to study classical writers such as
Aristophanes,
Jean Racine,
Molière and
Shakespeare alongside contemporary international playwrights such as
Sarah Kane,
Edward Bond,
Harold Pinter,
Dario Fo,
Samuel Beckett,
Luigi Pirandello,
Bertolt Brecht and
Anton Chekov. Informal weekly classes are also offered to children and adults. A new site in
Marseille is due to open in September 2024. == Notable alumni ==