Emília das Neves by Ana Isabel Vasconcelos

Emília das Neves e Souza (1820-1883), artistically known as Emília das Neves or simply “Linda Emília”, whose bust is in the lobby of the D. Maria II National Theatre, was the name chosen for the fourth volume of the “Biographies of Portuguese Theatre” collection. Due to the more than 40 years that this actress spent on stage, this biography allows us to follow an extensive period in the history of nineteenth-century theater, from Almeida Garrett’s famous reform in 1836 to the early 1980s, a time when romantic Lisbon began to give way to a more modern urban city.

In the pages of this book, we’ll follow Emília’s artistic journey, watch her performances – through the testimonies of third parties -, come into contact with some of the emblematic texts of her career, hear the applause and also the criticism, and get a feel for her acting style. We will also get to know his personality, manifested in the way he courageously got the better of businessmen or in the way he skilfully orchestrated his interests, taking advantage of the convivial relationships with a cultured, socially well-positioned and influential male universe, which, as we shall see, he was able to capitalize on so well.