Explores through fiction, film, autobiographies, and biographies the significance and influence of the actress (on stage and screen) from eighteenth century to present day. Highlighted topics: actress's self-image and perception of her art; relationship between her public profession and private life; how she reflects/sets contemporary standards for beauty and lifestyle; how she provokes public debate over women's "appropriate" sexual, familial, professional, and public roles; her function as symbol/role model for her gender, race, nation. Includes Sarah Bernhardt's memoirs, Chekhov's The Seagull, Susan Sontag's In America, films All About Eve and Mommie Dearest. Taught in English.
Gender, Sexuality Feminist Studies