Before the era of Sarah Bernhardt, Rachel was the great actress of the Comédie-Française-and the first international dramatic star. The daughter of Jewish peddlers from Alsace, Rachel Felix (1821-1858) made her debut as a street singer in ...See moreBefore the era of Sarah Bernhardt, Rachel was the great actress of the Comédie-Française-and the first international dramatic star. The daughter of Jewish peddlers from Alsace, Rachel Felix (1821-1858) made her debut as a street singer in Lyon and Paris. She joined the Comédie-Française at the age of 17 years and became a star of the French theater in the heyday of Romanticism, 1838-1855. Small, plain and fierce, Rachel's ability to convey passion in her performances thrilled audiences. She revitalized the Comédie-Française and made high culture popular by playing the classical female roles as if they were living women. Paintings, prints and photographs from the era, together with interviews with French actors (including Françoise Gillard, Dominique Blanc and Daniel Mesguich), directors and scholars, excerpts from contemporary productions of the classics from eyewitness accounts along with Rachel's own letters tell the story of this complex and compelling woman. Written by
National Center for Jewish Film
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