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.