The theatre I went to tonight is the Colony Theatre in Burbank and the play I saw is a charming comedy called The Ladies of the Camellias, which was written and directed by Lillian Groag. The play takes place on the eve of Eleanora Duse's Paris debut, in her signature role of Marguerite in "The Lady of the Camellias." Lacking a theatre, Sarah Bernhardt--whose signature role also is Marguerite in "The Lady of the Camellias"--makes hers available to Madama Duse. And thus The Ladies of the Camellias portrays the meeting of the two greatest actresses of their era. Oh yes. An anarchist takes the two ladies and their respective entourages hostage, too.
Although it gets a bit silly here and there, ultimately this play is a passionate love letter to The Theatre. There's plenty of dialogue devoted to discussion of The Theatre's role in civilization and the impact it can have on people. Although not anachronistic per se, numerous lines have been woven into the text that specifically relate to The Theatre (and broader world of the arts) today.
Actors, directors, playwrights and audiences are all the target at one point or another of some good-natured skewering.
The two leading ladies offer performances of note and they receive excellent support from the other seven members of the cast.
This is a play that could have great life in it on stock and community theatre stages.
