Eva Le Gallienne: A Biography

Eva Le Gallienne (1899-1991) had this in common with her favorite Ibsen character, Hedda Gabler: she refused to be oppressed by a sexist society that limited her freedom. Luckily, Le Gallienne never developed a penchant for pistols. Instead, she became an accomplished performer and a master at building nonprofit repertory theater companies. Sheehy's (Margo, 1989) account of Le Gallienne's life, drawn mostly from the actress's personal papers, is the perfect combination of professional triumphs and defeats and personal anecdotes. Le Gallienne's childhood is well documented here, but Sheehy refrains from covering insignificant events. She shows how Le Gallienne's parents' tempestuous marriage, which ended in bitter divorce, helped lay the foundation for many of her own adult relationships. Le Gallienne was raised by an independent, self-sufficient mother and nanny. Her father, an aloof alcoholic, had little positive influence on her, and Sheehy hints that he may have sexually abused his daughter. As an adult, Le Gallienne's support system consisted mainly of women; she was a lesbian who didn't hide her sexuality to further her career. Sheehy re-creates for the reader Le Gallienne's love of acting and directing while avoiding the litany of theatrical reviews that mars too many performing-arts biographies. Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse were Le Gallienne's heroes, and the author's descriptions of how her subject absorbed their professional technique and expert advice are inspiring. Early in her career, she rejected Broadway's commercial theater, and she went on to lead several repertory companies. Sheehy carefully documents each experience, offering insight into the rewards and heartbreaks associated with Le Gallienne's lifelong struggle to firmly establish repertory theater in the United States. In this balanced, carefully researched biography of an actress who defied convention, Sheehy has perfectly staged Le Gallienne's life. Photos. (Oct.)