New York City, 1932: Eva Le Gallienne is trying to save her theatre company from the jaws of the Depression by mounting an innovative new production of Alice in Wonderland. She agrees to give a radio interview for the sake of publicity, but while revisiting the moments that shaped her career, she struggles with the need to keep a significant secret: she and her leading lady are in love. As Eva’s work careens...
New York City, 1932: Eva Le Gallienne is trying to save her theatre company from the jaws of the Depression by mounting an innovative new production of Alice in Wonderland. She agrees to give a radio interview for the sake of publicity, but while revisiting the moments that shaped her career, she struggles with the need to keep a significant secret: she and her leading lady are in love. As Eva’s work careens toward catastrophe, she fights to preserve her dream of a people’s theatre—but will she destroy the people she loves in the process? The true story of one of the 20th century’s most remarkable artists, The Queen of Fourteenth Street reverberates powerfully today, as the American theatre faces an uncertain future and LGBTQ rights are once again under attack.
Eva Le Gallienne (female, mid 30s)
The Mother (female, early 40s): Mimsey Benson, Julie Norregaard, etc.
The Lover (female, late 20s): Josephine Hutchinson, Constance Collier, etc.
The Diva (female, mid 50s): Alla Nazimova, Eleonora Duse, etc.
The Man (male, late 30s): Pepi Schildkraut, Richard Le Gallienne, etc.
Facility with dialects is essential.
All five actors can be any ethnicity: the aim is to represent the essence of each character track, not to look like the historical figures each actor plays.