Le Gallienne, Eva (ləgăl`yən), 1899–1991, American actress, producer, director, and translator, b. London; daughter of poet Richard Le Gallienne. She made her debut in London in 1915 and in New York City the next year. She achieved distinction in 1921 in Molnar's Liliom and became known as an outstanding interpreter of Ibsen, whose works she translated. A strong believer in the repertory system, she founded the Civic Repertory Theatre (1926–33) in New York, for which she directed and acted. With Margaret Webster she was a cofounder of the American Repertory Theatre (1946). She directed and acted for the National Repertory Theatre (1961–66). She appeared in the film Resurrection in 1980.

Bibliography

See her autobiographies (1934 and 1953, repr. 1974); biography by H. Sheehy (1996).

Le Gallienne, Eva

(born Jan. 11, 1899, London, Eng.—died June 3, 1991, Weston, Conn., U.S.) British-born U.S. actress and director. After moving to New York City in 1915, she appeared in minor stage roles before starring in Liliom (1921). She founded the Civic Repertory Theatre (1926–33), where she directed and acted in plays by Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen, and other playwrights not then familiar to U.S. audiences. She later cofounded the short-lived American Repertory Theatre (1946–47). Her most notable later stage appearance was in a 1976 revival of The Royal Family.

Le Gallienne, Eva (1899–1991) stage actress; born in London, England. Making her stage debut in London at age 15, she came to the U.S.A. the next year and thereafter spent most of her professional career in America, as both a versatile actress in serious plays and as an intelligent director and producer. She founded the Civic Repertory Theatre in New York (1926–32) and later the American Repertory Theater Company. In addition to translations and stage adaptations, she published her memoirs and a study of Eleonora Duse.