Eva Allen Alberti

Eva Allen Alberti (April 4, 1856 – March 6, 1938) was an American dramatics teacher who specialized in the American meaning of pantomime i.e. mime. Her students were actors, teachers, directors and producers including, Prof. Gertrude Colby, Jane Cowl, Cecil B. DeMille, William C. deMille, Ann Harding, Fredric March, Douglas MacLean, Guthrie McClintic, William Powell, Edward G. Robinson, Anita Stewart, Stuart Walker, and Chester M. Wallace. Her father was Jonathan Macomber Allen (1823-1892), president of Alfred University. Abigail Ann (Maxson) Allen (1824-1894). Her siblings were William (b. 1853), May (b. 1860), and Alfred (b. 1866). and the director of the Young People's Theater in Carnegie Hall, New York City. The greatest novelty of the plans for the Young People's Theater carried out by Alberti was the presentation of complete grand opera in mime with appropriate instrumental music. The Alberti Pantomimes, it was claimed, used a more universal code of gesticulation than the French, Italian, or German. American pantomime, such as that developed under the hand of Alberti, became a finer art than that represented by the garish musical Christmas pantomimes of Britain, the distinction includes less cross-dressing, risque jokes and greater individual quality, in daintiness of movement, and delicacy of facial expression. She made a speciality of Greek sacred dances.

Personal life In 1879,

Selected works Books A handbook of acting (1932)

Dramatic compositions A Midsummer night's dream (1925)