Theater Under Occupation: Most Chose to Stay, Few Resisted

During the Nazi occupation of Paris, the French theater world largely chose to continue working under the Vichy regime rather than resist or flee. This is the subject of a series by Le Monde, 'Le théâtre sous l’Occupation' (part 3 of 5). While some, like actor and director Louis Jouvet, went on foreign tours, his secretary Charlotte Delbo joined the Resistance, as did actor and director Sylvain Itkine. The article highlights the rarity of resisters among theater professionals, contrasting the careers of playwrights Jean Anouilh and Jean-Paul Sartre, who both worked in occupied Paris. The piece explores the moral dilemmas faced by theater artists under Vichy, with most choosing to stay and work, while a few actively resisted. The article was published on August 11, 2026, in Le Monde's summer series.