Successful Ambivalence: Sarah Bernhardt’s Staging of Femininity

Abstract

Claudia Thorun examines the staging of femininity using the example of the actress Sarah Bernhardt, who in the late nineteenth century was among the most successful artists of her time. The study includes analyses of the representation of specific roles, Bernhardt’s theories on acting, and finally the reception of her work in theater critiques, as well as advertisement images and representations in the media. The book, which is a worthwhile read, allows for insight into the concrete theatrical embodiment of femininity at the fin de siècle. It does not provide, however, adequate contextualization within theater history nor cultural studies, even though in her introduction, the author asserts that it is her intention to link together gender theory, theater history, and cultural studies.