The earliest recorded "dramatic and literary evening" in Manitoba took place in 1866, and some twenty groups formed and dissolved[2] before Le Cercle Molière was founded on March 8, 1925, by three friends who had worked together on other theatre projects: André Castelein de la Lande (artistic director 1925–27), Raymond Bernier (secretary and treasurer) and Louis-Philippe Gagnon (president 1925–27).
They chose the name "Le Cercle Molière" to reflect their ambitious goal of performing the great works of French dramatic literature in Saint Boniface, Winnipeg.
The founders wanted Le Cercle Molière to create ties between the French and English communities in Manitoba, so an advisory committee composed of six members – three francophones and three anglophones – was established.
The theatre company participated in the Dominion Drama Festival twelve times, starting in 1934, and won numerous awards, including three first prizes for best production.
In 1937, three local English-language theatre groups performed benefit shows to help cover their travel expenses;[4] the reward was a third win for best play and for best French-language actress.
He was followed the next year by a young fine arts graduate with a teaching background named Roland Mahé, who had studied at the National Theatre School in Montreal, then at the École supérieure d'art dramatique de Strasbourg [fr], France.
As part of the 1970 celebrations of Manitoba's centennial as a Canadian province, a production of Obaldia's Du vent dans les branches de sassafras toured in Quebec and New Brunswick, and played at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
In 1973, Mahé was ready to offer the first all-Canadian season, which was well-received, and convinced him that his audience wanted the theatre to reflect its identity and preoccupations.
After the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre (CCFM) was constructed in 1974, the company moved its shows into the 300-seat Salle Pauline-Boutal, and for the first time acquired offices, workshops, and storage space, which led into twenty years of further expansion, with bigger, costlier productions and elaborate sets by designers like Réjean Labrie.
In 1975, experimental theatre workshops, called CM2, were offered for young adults, which served as a training ground for new performers for the next ten years.
To celebrate the company's 50th anniversary in 1975, a new Franco-Manitoban play, Je m’en vais à Regina by Roger Auger, was the season highlight.
This led to organizing school matinées for the main season's shows, a young audience production, a touring review entitled "De bouche à oreille" as a support for French language learning in the schools, acting and technical workshops, preparation workshops for the FTJ, and a festival of student plays.
[9] Financial strains and scheduling problems brought on by the success of the CCFM sent Le Cercle Molière to its smaller space, the Théâtre de la Chapelle, in 1997.
When the 2004-05 season completely sold out, it was considered to be an indication that such programming choices were agreeable to the audience, and that a larger space could allow ticket sales to grow.
The French government has recognized the services rendered by the company in promoting French culture and, through its embassy, has given several awards to members of the troupe: the Palmes académiques to Arthur and Pauline Boutal (1939); the Médaille de la Reconnaissance to Pauline Boutal (1950); and the Médaille du Ministère des affaires étrangères to Norbert Trudel, Christiane LeGoff and Suzanne Tremblay.