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Abstract
By 1919, when de Acosta produced her first full length play, Sandro Botticelli, starring Eva LeGallienne, and her first book of poetry (Moods), the American arts scene, especially in theatre, poetry, and literature, had begun breaking away from traditional forms of expression, directly influenced by the European "art theatre" movement, which had its origins in the innovative works of Ibsen, Chekhov, Strindberg, and others. Tracing the life and works of de Acosta within the context of America's fertile, experimental arts movements (on stage and in film), and through her relationship with many of the leading arts practitioners of the era (Nazimova, LeGallienne, Duncan, Dietrich, Garbo, and others), the author contributes a significant and insightful chapter to American theatre history.