What happens when rivals in the Belle Epoque theatre scene meet up and create some drama? Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse both vie for top billing in this comedy - but there is surprising twist!

1. Ross Valley Players Present

2. Meet the Cast

3. Michele Wolpe
Sarah Berhardt

4. Adrianna Dinihanian
Eleonora Duse

5. Geoffrey Colton
Alexandre Dumas, fils

6. Frederick Lein
Gustave Hippolite-Worms

7. Francisco Arcila
Flavio Andó

8. Laim Robertson
Benoit Constant Coquelin

9. Mohammad Shehata
Ivan

10. Wood Lockhart
Benoit

11. Laine Flores
A Girl

12. Meet the Director

13. Julian López-Morillas
Director
Julian López-Morillas (Director) has been acting and
directing in the Bay Area for the past four decades. In his
many seasons as Associate Artistic Director at the Berkeley
Shakespeare Festival (now California Shakespeare Theatre)
he directed productions including Pericles, Henry IV Part One,
All’s Well that Ends Well, Timon of Athens and Coriolanus.
Other directing assignments have been with the Oregon
Shakespeare Festival, American Players’ Theatre, Berkeley
Jewish Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre and Marin
Theatre Company.
Local audiences will also be familiar with his acting work from appearances with the
Marin Shakespeare Festival (Romeo and Juliet, The Spanish Tragedy) and the Marin
Theatre Company (The Seafarer).

14. The Great Rivals

15. An Epic Rivalry
(See Director's Notes for more details!)
During the Belle Époque (late 1800's), the
European stage was dominated by two
leading ladies: Sarah Bernhardt, and
Eleanora Duse.
These rivals had their passionate
partisans due in large part to their
individual styles.
Sarah charmed audiences with her
beauty, grace, and technique while
Eleonora used "naturalism" from Ibsen
and Chekhov to evoke pity for her deep
passions and tragic view of life from her
patrons.
In London, each diva performed their
own rendition of both Dumas' The Lady of
the Camellias and Sundermann's Heimat
within days of each other - giving George
Bernard Shaw (theatre critic) the
opportunity to weigh in on his preference
of Ms. Duse.
Their rivalry created the actual historical
event on which this play is based. Duse
announced her intentions to portray
Marguerite from Camellias once more -
and Sarah offered her own theatre for the
performance.

16. Styles on Stage
Looking Forward and Backward
Team “Melodrama” Team “Naturalism”
Sarah Bernhardt was
known for her “drama” on
and off stage (e.g. it is
rumored that she slept in
a coffin, and only accepted
payment in gold).
She kept the traditional
techniques of the earlier
1800’s melodrama style of
theatre alive using
heightened emotions,
actions, and vocal
stylings.
Eleonora Duse adopted
the theatre style
spurred by Darwin’s
Origin of the Species
and embodied the
changes in lifestyle and
attitude in the Belle
Époque.
She portrayed
characters sincerity
and inner life
compellingly on stage.

17. The Lady of the Camellias
by Alexandre Dumas, fils
Many grand-dames of the stage
coveted the role of Marguerite –
and both Sarah Bernhardt and
Eleonora Duse portrayed her
during the Belle Époque period.
This tragic love story between
Marguerite (the Lady of the
Camellias – so named for her white
dresses) and her lover Armand
Duval embodied the morals and
struggles of the 19th century.
The character Marguerite was a
“demi-mondaine” (e.g. “kept
woman” by various men) who
suffered from tuberculosis.
During the course of the play,
Armand convinces Marguerite to
turn away from being a courtesan…
However, Armand’s family hopes
and aspirations lead to a tragic
outcome for Armand and his love,
Marguerite…

18. Catching the Conscience
of the Community
[adapted: Shakespeare’s Hamlet - 2.2]
Hamlet’s advice to his players
has never been more relevant…
…for any thing so
overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end,
both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere,
the mirror up to nature;
- Hamlet Act 3.2, 19–22
Tonight, that mirror is turned around.
Life has unexpectedly imitated art.
And herein, we will find new meaning in its message.
Additionally, we’ve made available an addendum
to tonight’s Director’s Notes from
Julian López-Morillas.
You can choose whether or not to reveal the plot’s
surprises…
His wise words begin this way –
After the horror of the events in Paris last
week, I told my producer that I couldn’t think
of a more difficult time to be putting on
The Ladies of the Camellias.
A play set in a theatre in Paris…
RVP invites you to participate.
Simply write a note and place it on our board.
We will show the world that
we have a community of support
for those who have suffered.

19. Donation Forms!
Founded in 1930, Ross Valley
Players is the oldest continually
operating community theatre
West of the Mississippi.
Our productions have been
awarded by Theatre Bay Area
Awards, the San Francisco Bay Area
Theatre Critic’s Circle, and Dean
Goodman.
About Ross Valley Players
Theatre for the Community
Can you help us reach
$40,000 during
Ladies of the Camellias?