Roland Barthes is little known to our readers as a theater critic. Yet he was deeply passionate about theater, not only as a spectator but also as one of the founders and regular contributors to the journal Théâtre populaire. The 1950s were a crucial time for French theater, marking the beginning of the development of the theatrical landscape that now defines it. The texts collected here, whether critical reviews of long-forgotten productions, political insights, theoretical perspectives, or historical excursions, invariably touch upon the very essence of theater and therefore remain relevant today.