Even if Theresa Rebeck and the 21st-century champions of all things feminine and feminist had not declared it so, Sarah Bernhardt would have been one extraordinary female. A bona fide superstar of the gilded age stage with a string of hit shows and international A-list paramours, this was a woman who could do whatever she wanted—including display her trim nethers in “breeches” roles during an age when proper ladies were forbidden to reveal their ankles. When Bernhardt decided to take on the coveted role of Hamlet, however, even her supporters feared she had gone too far. Rebeck's biodrama blends history with modern issues regarding gender, social prejudices, artistic theory, the absence of material for mature actresses, the folly of mixing business and personal relationships—the Pygmalion dynamic can travel both ways, you know—and many other topics. The more than two hours needed to discuss these matters in full are kept from growing cumbersome by Donna Feore's brisk direction and a scrumptious stage environment replete with sensual texture (with a soupcon of sassy sim-sex, courtesy of Intimacy designer Gaby Labotka). Oregon Shakespeare Festival alumna Terri McMahon holds her ground as the feisty Sarah, but look for Chicago favorite Larry Yando, playing the legendary Constant Coquelin (who premiered Cyrano de Bergerac, but that's another story) to steal focus with every line reading. Though the humor never spills into slapstick parody, there's enough irreverent repartee to satisfy starsuckers seeking inside gossip on the rich and famous, but theatergoers of more serious bent will leave with fresh insights into the mystery of the Melancholy Dane and a woman's struggle to explore dimensions hidden from male perception.
