Rex Theater (Haiti)
# Rex Theater (Haiti)

The Rex Theater (French: Rex Théâtre) is a theater in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, that was opened in October, 1935. It was built by the Société Haïtienne des Spectacles (Haitian Entertainment Corporation), led by Daniel $Brun.^{:77}$ The theater seated 1200 people and was managed by Mrs. Muffat Taldy until $1951.^{:77,413}$

## Cultural events

The Rex has been the site of many cultural and entertainment events. In its first week, the Rex Theater screened films that included La Bataille (The Battle), La Robe Rouge (The Red Dress), Gai Divorce (The Gay Divorcee), and Banque Nemo (Nemo's Bank), and its first play was performed in April $1937.^{:77}$ A performance at the Rex was given by Marian $Anderson.^{:77}$

## Political events

On various occasions events at the Rex have had a political focus or political implications. For example, on 20 December 1945, as the first of a planned series of twelve lectures, the poet André Breton spoke at the Rex on $"Surréalisme".^{:119}$ Upon completing his lecture, which was attended by six hundred students as well as the president of Haiti and many of his ministers, senators and deputies, and some military dignitaries and business $people,^{:373}$

   legend has it that Breton did not shake President Lescot's hand upon leaving the Rex Theater... If true, President Lescot would have taken the gesture as a public affront, and those in attendance would have read it as an act of solidarity to their cause.... the publication of the speech in La Ruche led to the Haitian government's seizure of the magazine and the imprisonment of certain of its editors, including Depestre, in turn provoking a student demonstration that led to the fall of President $Lescot.^{:119–120}$

Many years later, in 2001, the Rex was the planned site of an opposition political event. The Rex Theater had been the initially planned site for the "inauguration" of Gérard Gourgue as an "alternative $president".^{:121}$ However, "the theater's management, fearful of popular outrage, canceled the $event".^{:121}$

