"The theater, also called La Comédie, was of great cultural importance to the inhabitants of Saint-Pierre. Inaugurated in 1786, this building built in the image of the Bordeaux theater could accommodate up to 800 spectators on three levels.
The huge stage was intended for performances of big shows. Many famous actors performed there. Theatrical troupes came from France for the season. This is where the big carnival closing ball took place. It was also a place of debates and exchanges and political gatherings.
In 1902, the theater had been closed for a year, in bankruptcy because of the loans made for its renovation. Long before the Abolition of slavery, the Théâtre de Saint-Pierre was open to everyone, blacks and whites alike.
The Director of the theater had wanted the seats to be the same for everyone. The Authorities were very annoyed, but did not want to say no to him.
They had therefore given him their consent, threatening to close the theater at the first incident. There was never the slightest incident.
The eruption of Mount Pelée on May 8, 1902 destroyed it almost completely. The Saint-Pierre theater is the first building in the old Creole city to be excavated in 1935 for heritage purposes, which is to say the importance it held in the collective memory. Only its two staircases with a central fountain, the step, the pillars of the facade, the orchestra pit, the passage for orchestra chairs and a small outside street remain from its ruins from its time of glory. "