A fascinating and well researched account of not one but two incredible women, their careers, their personal lives and their legacies are all examined in this entertaining and informative book.
While the name of Sarah Bernhardt is recognizable to this day as one of the greatest actresses of all time, that of her "rival" ( as described in this book) Eleanora Duse has faded into the past, remembered only by those with an interest in the theater. This is no accident, as Bernhardt thrived on fame, and at times on infamy and scandal too, while Duse preferred to avoid the fame, and wished to concentrate only on her "Art". Despite the differences in their ages, they did tread the boards during the same time period, leading to a rivalry between the women that at times overflowed into the personal as well as the professional.
This well written book catalogs the histories of both women, and how their upbringings, personal lives and relationships impacted on their careers, while also examining how their different acting styles showed the evolution of theatre from the stiff formal style favoured in the pre Victorian and Victorian ears to the more natural style typified in the works of more modern writers such as Ibsen. This progression made for an interesting read, and helped to drive the narrative of the book, but the real heart of the book is the relationship between these two very different but very successful and determined women.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in women who lead extraordinary lives, and also anyone who has an interest in acting or the theatre, the author has done a really great job of taking a lot of historical detail and making it accessible to even the most casual of readers.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Before the Bette and Joan feud, there was a much crazier one. Playing to the Gods shines a deep look on the rivalry between actress Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse.

I knew of Sarah Bernhardt mainly as a historic reference and as the subject of the Alphonse Mucha posters but I must admit I had never heard of Eleonora Duse. This was a fascinating chronicle of their lives and their rivalry and the transition in theater at that time. It's non-fiction but it flowed like a novel and was enjoyable to read. I couldn't help but feel for both of these women as they experienced triumphs, betrayals and disappointments. Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC.

Let me start by saying my only draw to this book was that it was historic and about 2 inspiring women. I had very little interest in the actress/stage part of this book, but despite my indifference, the author really was able to make me interested. By the end I was searching the motion pictures of these two women on youtube and watching them in action.
Just one of these stories would have been interesting and inspiring enough. They both, independently, are quite interesting from birth to death. But to weave these two stories together just adds a whole level of intrigue that brings them even more alive. This book is long, but I do think that everything contained here is worth of being included.
It took me a while to get through this, just based on the times that I devote to tablet reading (not my favorite). Overall this was quite a tale. I'm glad I selected it to read.

I was very excited to read this book and it did not disappoint! I was mostly excited to read it because I am a huge Oscar Wilde fan and wanted to learn a little more about his connection to Sarah Bernhardt and I am glad that there was plenty on that subject in this book. I will admit, I did not know much about Eleonora Duse before I began this book, but it did not matter; there was plenty of backstory and information that I did not feel that my reading experience was hindered.

What I found so interesting about this book is how difficult this subject matter must have been to write about. There is very little film evidence of these actresses, so all we really have to go on is firsthand accounts and newspaper reports about their plays and acting styles, not to mention the actresses' own words. With that being said, I think the author did a great job of describing the acting styles.

I picked this up because I am very interested in Sarah Bernhardt and especially her portrayal of Hamlet. I hadn't heard of Eleonore Duse before and now that I have read this I know why; in the end she was overshadowed by Bernhardt's staggering fame. It's great that through Rader's book Duse's accomplishments will hopefully get more recognition.

To be honest I was mostly expecting to read about the eccentricities of both divas and thought the competition between them would be mostly petty but highly amusing. However, their artistic differences are genuinely profound and interesting, and although there is a good deal of inspiring, scandalous and tragic stories about both of them, the book goes far beyond just listing shocking facts about their lives. Even though the style is accessible, the heart of the book is academic and it has a clear, comprehensive argument that is interesting in its own right: the competition between these two women revolutionised acting and, in essence, created what we think of as good acting today. I got very caught up in the story of not just these two women but the history of acting as we know it, and ended up finishing this in one day.

Playing to the Gods is one those non-fiction books that manage to be informative and very readable and engaging at the same time. The style overall reminded me of Sarah Bakewell, whom I absolutely adore (she's author of At the Exentialist Café and How to Live), and if you enjoy the contemplative, somewhat philosophical way she tackles subjects, you are likely to enjoy this as well. Like Bakewell, Rader makes a point of not just describing what happened, but stops to discuss and speculate what the meaning behind these events might have been, and most importantly, shows you why you should care about the topic in the first place.

How fascinating this was! I was familiar with both actresses, although like most people, more so with Bernhardt than Duse. The two women were pitted as rivals, yet shared a startling number of qualities (chief among them perseverance and an extraordinary unwillingness to accept the role others tried to slot them into). Their careers were exceptionally dramatic (perhaps not surprising, given the field they both excelled in), as were their lives (most notably in the romantic, financial, and familial arenas). They WERE theater in the early twentieth century, and the cult of celebrity was forever shaped by the opposing paths and approaches the two took to fame and publicity. Their marks - particularly Duse's - on modern acting and staging cannot be overstated either. From method acting to the very language we speak (I had no idea "doozy" was coined after Duse!), these were exceptional women who lived larger than life lives, largely independently - at a time when most women were barely treated as more than possessions...

The battle royale between the two actresses and their wildly different approaches to acting and theater was exceedingly entertaining to read - particularly given the state of the world throughout the course of their careers. Rader's writing style was engaging and entertaining, offering not only a great story but also a history lesson, taking the reader on a detailed (but not overly so) trip through European history, the history of theater, and even the rise of cinema.

A very slow read for me. More biographical than I thought, though some people will enjoy it. Just not my cup of tea, sadly.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

okay this may not set the world on fire, but the comparison between these two divas who overlapped in the theatrical world is full of personal detail that will intrigue people interested in the acting arts. there are some good insights into the two women, and into the nature of theatrical business - strangely they both seem to come from dysfunctional backgrounds but obviously used their personal resources to good advantage in their work, or 'art' as they both came to call it - and it is. good fun - I'd have loved more enquiry into the ways of the world they worked in, and other experiences (and there are some hints of the lesser actors in their day, and what it was like for them .. ) and I liked the non-judgemental attitude toward their hectic personal, sexual lives and marriages. recommendable, for sure

Sex. Rivalry. Betrayal. Reconciliation. Art.

Towering over all, the two greatest actresses of the 19th century challenging and competing with each other, in a time of turbulent change in both the acting world (with the advent of art nouveau and moving pictures), and the world at large (the Franco-Prussian War, the First World War). The prize at stake was the very soul of acting.



This is a true story. Playing To The Gods relives the lives of two actresses, one of whose name is still widely recognisable, the other whose name is now known only to drama students.

Historically, both actresses lived at a time of great change. Up to about the 1870’s or so, being called an ‘Actress’ was equivalent to being called a prostitute. Acting then was primarily vaudeville-type shows, tickets cost mere pennies, and actresses usually ended as paupers, (to be buried in the potter’s field, not even worthy of a cemetery burial).

Acting style was minutely described, with “poses” being the conduit for emotion (i.e. a certain pose for rage, for happiness, etc.). This was known as Symbolism, acting by physical mimicry. There was no emotion, no realism. It was all swooning and stage-left exits.

Writing style was equally trite – tragedies ended in death, comedies in marriage. It was all very formulaic, predictable, and required nothing of the actors or audience.

Sarah Bernhardt changed the perception of actresses, Eleanora Duse the nature of acting.

French actress Sarah Bernhardt, born 1844, was the illegitimate daughter of a Jewish courtesan, who had run away from Amsterdam with her younger sister to Paris. Paris was more permissive and accepting of such children, and of such ladies like her mother and their salons, and her mother’s success was such that Sarah went at seven years of age to a boarding school (with a less-than-inspiring debut as the Fairy Queen in a play called Clotilde), then at nine to a convent, to finish her education. She eventually joined Comedie-Francaise, a highly-respected acting troupe. She also joined the family business for a period, at this time.

From these beginnings, she went on to star in some of the most popular plays (using the “posed” or Symbolic style) from the mid 1860’s to just after the First World War. The names include her signature role as Camille in La Dame Aux Camelias (by Alexandre Dumas), Theodora, Fedora and La Tosca by Sardou, and latterly L’Aiglon by Edmond Rostand (who would succumb to the Spanish Flu of 1919). She also was comfortable playing male roles, such as Hamlet, but as early as 1869 she was playing Zanetto in Le Passant, by Francois Coppee. Her legend began with this role.

She became larger than life, not caring what newspapers said of her in the theatre pages, so long as she was on the front page. She promoted her eccentricities, such as her travelling menagerie, her opulent lifestyle, her grandiose gestures, her myriad lovers. She could entertain equally as well on stage and in the bedroom (which may have been just another stage for her).

The “witching music of her voice of gold” enraptured audiences and critics alike, and propelled her to stardom. She took full advantage, understanding the importance of merchandising herself. She created several firsts, for example becoming the first international move star (a full year before Chaplin). She WAS the Grande Dame of theatre.

Eleanor Duse, an Italian actress born in 1858, had none of the advantages that Bernhardt had, such as they were. Born into a family of poor, wandering troubadours, her life from the start was characterised by rootlessness, restlessness, and loneliness. From these inauspicious beginnings (she from about four was used as a beggar in order to earn the family enough money for food), and without any formal training, she rose to become the greatest stage actress of her generation, possibly of any generation to that date, and her rivalry with Bernhardt stemmed from this.

Duse debuted as Cosette, the orphaned waif in Les Miserables, learning early the lesson that for the audience to be entertained, the actor had to suffer. She had an isolated, lonely childhood, (naming only one friend), which fed her imagination and developed her deep inner spiritual life.

Many years of literally walking the roads of Italy, Germany, Austria were to follow, until she had an epiphany in Verona, playing Juliet in the Shakespearean heroine’s hometown. A force, (known to her and select intimates from then forward as The Grace), revealed itself to her, and she was transformed. Acting had now become Art. Art would flow without effort, truth would channel through the artist to the audience creating a mystical communion, but the artist had to lose herself (i.e. destroy the ego) in the performance.

Duse would be the model and inspiration for what would become the Method School of acting, and was the first major proponent for the emotional style of acting. She would revel in plays by Ibsen. She too would create some firsts, notably being the first actor or actress ever to be invited to the White House, and also the first woman to appear on the cover of Time magazine. The American phrase “it’s a doozy” dates from their appreciation of her performances, when on tour in the US. While never short of lovers, Duse fell in love with the wrong guys, and suffered terrible emotional distress at their hands. Conversely, Bernhardt was always the one in control.

Duse and Bernhardt were different in almost every conceivable way. Modest as opposed to flamboyant, retiring against extroverted, publicity-shy against publicity-hungry, these two women bestrode the acting world like colossi. Bernhardt had the early advantage, being some 15 years older, and already a star when Duse took her first steps upon the stage.

Bernhardt had perfected the Symbolic school, and was worshipped wherever she went.

Duse created a new style of acting, being more natural, using the pauses between the lines, and had to work hard to win over her audiences and critics, initially at least.

Playing To The Gods perfectly narrates the growing confidence of Duse in her Art, and Bernhardt’s increasing awareness of this rising star. Bernhardt calls her “de vigne” in French, which to Anglophone ears sounds like divine, but means “of the peasantry, or ‘of the vines”. Bernhardt’s reaction is to go big, larger performances, more extravagant sets, increased publicity, but ever the survivor we see her changing her style, and re-writing her past, to become Duse-like near the end of her career.

They stole each other’s lovers and scripts, they followed each other around the globe, and strove to out-perform each other in the roles they took. This epic rivalry (echoed by the 1963 tensions between Crawford and Davis in Feud) culminated in an act-off, a head-to-head staging by both actresses of the SAME play (Magda) at the SAME time in London – across the street from each other!

The book is a fascinating insight into two incredible talents, their highs and lows, abject failures and stunning successes, the sexual shenanigans and unlikely partnerships. These iconic women were venerated and criticised by people whose names are still known today (Henry James, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and others). It was a time of legends, and this book details why Bernhardt’s name lives on, whereas Duse is almost obscure.

It is a fascinating read, and thoroughly recommended.

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to review, in return for a free copy of the book.

Before the "Divine Feud" between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in the Golden Age of Hollywood Cinema, there was the on- and offstage rivalry between theatrical actresses Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse in the late 19th/early 20th Century. Originally pitted against each other because they were the best/most popular actresses in their home countries (Bernhardt in France, Duse in Italy), Playing to the Gods starts off by highlighting the actresses' different approaches to performing, as well as giving details of their controversial, yet oftentimes heartbreaking, personal lives. The "competition" between the two divas prior to them actually meeting included passive-aggressive banter and nationalistic slights, but once they were brought together to perform, the cattiness and tension were so high it makes Bette and Joan look like a couple of amateurs. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history of theater and acting, famous feuds, and biographies.

This biography reads like fiction. Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse were the most famous actresses of their day.... This is a fascinating account of what theatre was and how the innovative Duse created what we know as drama today. I could go on and on AND ON about this biography but if you like biography and history (and a good rivalry) read it.

Nice! I very much enjoyed Peter Rader's tale of two of the most powerful figures in theater history- Sarah Bernhardt, and Eleonora Duse. These two actors represented in many ways a changing of the guard at the turn of the nineteenth century. Frenchwoman Bernhardt remains well known into the 21st century as the pre-eminent actress, promoter, provocateur of her age. Italian Duse is the publicity shy, fragile, creative force who introduced the wider world to a new way of stage communication---- to become known as Method Acting. Yet little is known outside of theater historians. Yet Rader skillfully recreates the time when the theater experience was changing in every aspect from makeup, lighting, staging, directing, writing, and most especially the acting. He writes engagingly of Bernhardt, and Duse as their careers develop, wax, and wane. One whose name lives on and the other whose gift continues to give to the theater going public. It is well researched, entertaining, and well written.

GREAT READ! KEEPER! I LOVE IT, A must read, i could not put it down