The town of Millau in south-central France has 22,000 people and over a million sheep. You may have heard about it when the anti-globalization activist Jose Bove dismantled a McDonalds there a few years ago. Or more recently when the tallest bridge in the world opened, spanning the valley above the town. They region, Aveyron, is known for Roquefort cheese. What it is not known for is opera. But as of October 2006, Millau is home to a world-class theater, the Maison du Peuple, that in its first season produced Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Pucini’s Gloria, along with Indian dance, African stories and the pop star Olivia Ruiz. The Maison du Peuple is a rennovated union hall turned theater, and this piece looks at what goes into opening a theater in a small town.