French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt as Cleopatra, photographed in 1891

   Portraits of the French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844 - 1923) as Cleopatra photographed in 1891 by Napoleon Sarony (Canadian-born American photographer, 1821 - 1896).

   Born Henriette-Rosine Bernard to a Jewish courtesan of Dutch Jewish background, Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) was raised in a pension and educated in a convent school near Versailles. She initially wanted to become a nun but at the age of sixteen was persuaded by her mother’s lover to become an actor. 

The french most celebrated theatre actress SARAH BERNHARDT in CLEOPATRA, portrait by Sarony , New York, 1891

French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) as Cleopatra, photograph by Napoleon Sarony (1821-1896)

Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923), French actress in the role of Cleopatra, reclining with her hand on head of seated woman

La Parisienne (The Woman of Paris) written by Henri Becque (1837-1899) and performed at the Comédie-Française, Paris, on November 11, 1890.

   A scene from La Parisienne (The Woman of Paris, first published in 1885) written by the French playwright Henri Becque (1837-1899) and performed at the Comédie-Française, Paris, on November 11, 1890.  

   La Parisienne is a comedy in three acts by the French playwright Henry Becque, premiered on February 7, 1885 at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris. It is also his last play. In 1895, Becque added a fourth act to the play, but it was not staged in this configuration until 2003.

Illustration of the performance of 11-11-1890 at the Comédie-Française.

Réjane in the Parisian photographed by the Nadar workshop. 

The Father (Der Vater, 1887) written by August Strindberg (1849 -1912) and produced at Die Freie Bühne (The Free Stage, founded in 1889), Berlin, starring Emanuel Reicher, in 1890

   A scene from Der Vater (The Father, tragedy of a man and a woman struggling for the possession of their child, 1887) written by the Swedish playwright August Strindberg (1849 -1912) and produced at Die Freie Bühne (The Free Stage, founded in 1889), Berlin, starring Emanuel Reicher (German actor, 1849 - 1924), on 12 October 1890.

   The Father (Der Vater) is a Swedish drama by August Strindberg, which premiered in Copenhagen on 14 November 1887 and premiered in Berlin on 12 October 1890.

   Because of blasphemous comments, Strindberg found it hard for his work to be published and produced in Sweden. This play was the first Strindberg play to be produced outside of Scandinavia, in Berlin in 1890. 

Blue Jeans written by Joseph Arthur and produced at the Fourteenth Street Theater in 1890

A scene from Blue Jeans written by the American playwright Joseph Arthur (1848 - 1906) and produced at the Fourteenth Street Theater, New York City, on October 6, 1890.

Original Theatre Poster, 'Blue Jeans' 1890 by Play-write Joseph Arthur

3 Years at Fourteenth Street Theatre, Neww York

More Information about this Play

Jim the Penman written by Sir Charles L. Young (1839-1887), and produced by the Beckenham Dramatic Club, in 1890s.

A scene from Jim the Penman written by  the English playwright Sir Charles L. Young (1839-1887), and produced by the Beckenham Dramatic Club, in 1890s.

A Midsummer Night's Dream written by William Shakespeare and produced at a Russian Theatre, in 1890

A scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream written by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) and produced at a Russian Theatre, in 1890.

King Lear written by William Shakespeare, and produced with Julia Marlowe playing as Cordelia, in 1890

Scenes from King Lear written by the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), and produced in New York with Julia Marlowe (1865 - 1950) playing as Cordelia, in 1890.

Julia Marlowe as Cordelia in Shakespeare's King Lear

In 1904, she began an extremely successful partnership with actor E. H. Sothern, beginning with their appearances in the title roles in Romeo and Juliet, Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, and the leads in Hamlet. They toured all over the U.S. in these plays, adding The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night to their repertoire in 1905.