Mark Twain wrote, "There are five kinds of actresses: bad actresses, fair actresses, good actresses, great actresses. And then there is Sarah Bernhardt." In 1899, the international stage celebrity set out to tackle her most ambitious role yet: Hamlet. Theresa Rebeck's new play rollicks with high comedy and human drama, set against the lavish Shakespearean production that could make or break Bernhardt's career. Janet McTeer, "one of the finest classical actresses of her generation" (The Telegraph), brings the legendary leading lady to life. The remaining cast and creative team will be announced soon.
As Bernhardt/Hamlet widens its scope to examine the very nature of art itself, pitting actor against playwright, performer against critic, truth against commerce, things get talky. Very talky. There are witticisms galore - A woman who cannot do anything is nothing. A man who does nothing is Hamlet - and a good amount of genuine laughs, but points are made and remade past any need to convince.
...it's the intimate, almost reverential look at this actress and all her eccentricities (say, sleeping in a coffin) that allows us to forgive the flaws in the work and makes it so stimulating, especially for those with any interest in theatrical history. Rebeck loses no opportunity to remind us of the stature of her subject, most notably with a line attributed to Mark Twain. 'There are five kinds of actresses,' he is quoted. 'Bad actresses, fair actresses, good actresses, great actresses - and then there is Sarah Bernhardt.'
2018 | Broadway |
Roundabout Theatre Company Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Play | Toni-Leslie James |
2019 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Janet McTeer |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design | Beowulf Boritt |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Toni-Leslie James |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Janet McTeer |
Videos