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.
...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.'
Few performers today have the quicksilver command and agile wit of Janet McTeer, so casting her as Sarah Bernhardt, the famed French thespian of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was inspired. Even more so once the focus tightens onto 'The Divine Sarah' as she chafes against the limited avenues open to women in the theater, ignoring naysayers in her determination to tackle one of the greatest male roles in the dramatic canon, Shakespeare's Hamlet. But despite many tantalizing elements and historical material ripe for exploration from a contemporary feminist perspective, Theresa Rebeck's Bernhardt/Hamlet doesn't add up to a play. At least not a satisfying one.
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 |
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