Leontine Sagan
(1889/90-1974) Actress, theatre and film director. Born as Leontine Schlesinger in Budapest, Hungary. She came to South Africa in 1899 with her family to join her father. Initially educated at the German School in Johannesburg, she then went to Germany to study under Max Reinhardt. Married Dr Voctor Fleischer and , after a notable stage career in Germany, she directed the German film Mädchen in Uniform in 1932. This won her international acclaim, but having made one more film, she devoted the rest of her life to theatre. Directed a number of Ivor Novello musicals at the Drury Lane Theatre. She returned to South Africa in 1939 at the instigation of Prof. D.P. Inskip and worked with the Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society and other amateur dramatic societies across South Africa. She directed a successful production of Shaw’s The Doctor’s Dilemma, at the Little Theatre for example. Swiftly becoming a legend in the theatre here, working as a fine director with all the notable performers amateur and professional, including the Krugersdorp Municipal Dramatic and Operatic Society (KMDOS) in 1942, the Johannesburg REPS , the East Rand Theatre Club, the Bloemfontein Repertory Society, *. Became an artistic advisor tothe National Theatre Organisation in 1947, touring the country with André Huguenet and Anna Neethling-Pohl to address meetings and audition players. In February 1948 she directed their first English production in (Dear Brutus by J.M. Barrie), followed by ** and **. Other productions include Night Must Fall (1940) and The Corn is Green (1940) for ACT, They Walk Alone (1940), The Man who Came to Dinner (1941), Six Characters in Search of an Author (1941) and Clare Booth’s The Women (1942) for the Johannesburg REPS , In Theatre Street (1950) for the East Rand Theatre Club, ** for the Bloemfontein Repertory Society. Involved in the establishment of the National Theatre Organisation (NTO), she was appointed to the first board in 1948. Her autobiography (Light and Shadows), edited by Loren Kruger, was published by University of the Witwatersrand Press in 1996.** SAGAN, Leontine. Hungarian-born director. Born Leontine Schlesinger in 1889. Joined her family from Budapest in South Africa in 1899. Finished school at the German school in Johannesburg. Studied under Max Reinhardt in Germany. A stage career followed. Made the German film Mädchen in Uniform in 1932. Married to Dr. Victor Fleischer. Directed several productions for British actor-composer Ivor Novello, the only women to ever direct musicals at London’s Drury Lane Theatre. Returned to South Africa just before World War One. Directed Night must fall and The Corn is Green starring André Huguenet under the aegis of African Consolidated Theatres in 1940. Directed The Women by Clare Boothe, performed by the REPS in 1942 starring Moira Lister. Shaw's. She directed Mrs Warren's profession, starring Lydia Lindeque. It was performed in 1947 by the REPS. Member of Breytenbach's NTO Board of Control. Together with André Huguenet. Later additions to the board included Marda Vanne and Elizabeth Sneddon. She directed Dear Brutus, by J.M. Barrie and An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly for the inaugural season of the National Theatre. Directed In Theatre Street for the East Rand Theatre Club in 1950. Molnar’s The Guardsman, was directed by Leontine Sagan in 1949 for the National Theatre. SAGAN, Leontine, Mrs Warren’s Profession (Shaw) olv. Leontine Sagan, Johannesburg Repertory Society.
Sources
See Binge, 19**; Kruger, 1996; Du Toit, 1988; Tucker, 1997 [TH, JH]
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