Peter Rader's book Playing to the Gods: Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse, and the Rivalry that Changed Acting Forever, will be adapted into a feature film, according to Deadline. The book details the feud between 19th century actors Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse.
Read: 8 NEW THEATRE BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ THIS SUMMER
The screen adaptation will be helmed by Emmy-winning writer and director Michael Sucsy (HBO's Grey Gardens), who has also penned the script.
In Playing to the Gods, Rader details the legendary rivalry between Bernhardt and Duse, the former known for her over-the-top personality on and off the stage and the latter for her naturalistic acting style. Their differing styles—and their rising star power—led to an ongoing competition that changed the course of theatre history, complete with stolen lovers, playwrights, and roles.
Bernhardt was recently depicted in Theresa Rebeck's Bernhardt/Hamlet starring Janet McTeer as the legendary actor.
