Eva Vrchlická (also known as Eva Fridová; born Eva Marie Johanna 6 March 1888 Prague – 18 July 1969, Prague) was a Czech actress, translator, publicist, playwright, poet and writer. She was the daughter of the poet and writer Jaroslav Vrchlický , and a long-time member of the National Theatre in Prague.

In 1953, she received the title of Merited Artist and also won the Klement Gottwald State Prize .

Her real name was Eva Fridová, and she was born into the family of the poet Jaroslav Vrchlický (real name Emil Frida) and his wife Ludmila, née Podlipská. She was the middle of three children.  It is said that her biological father was the Prague actor Jakub Seifert and her mother was Ludmila Podlipská , the wife of Jaroslav Vrchlický.  Her family introduced her to an artistic environment, where, in addition to Jaroslav Vrchlický, she was influenced by her grandmother Sofie Podlipská and great-aunt Karolina Světlá . In 1907, she graduated from a girls' high school and permanently preferred acting to her interest in fine arts.  In 1907, she received acting training from Eduard Vojan , Marie Hübnerová , and Ludmila Danzerová. In 1908 she joined the Uranie Theatre , in 1910 she went to the National Theatre in Brno , and in 1911 she joined the Jeřábek Theatre Company, from which she moved straight to the National Theatre in Prague.

Eva Vrchlická's first husband was the translator Jaromír Nevole (1886  –1926, published under the name Jarek Nevole). The couple lived in the Old Town, on Elišky Krásnohorské Street. On June 9, 1911, their daughter Eva  was born . The marriage lasted from 1910 to 1918, when they divorced.

During this time, i.e. between the seasons 1910/1911 and 1917/1918, Eva Vrchlická was cast in more than fifty roles at the National Theatre, mostly leading roles (for example, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet , Princess Dandelion in the play of the same name, or Roxana in Cyrano de Bergerac ).

Eva Vrchlická's second husband was hotelier Edmund Zavřel (1891–1940). The marriage was concluded in 1920, and they separated around 1930.

Even as she approached middle age, she was still cast in leading, often youthful roles at the National Theatre (e.g. Mimi in The Robber in the 1925/1926 season).  The 1920s, when she worked with director Karel Hugo Hilar, are considered the peak of her theatrical career.  She also published her first books during her marriage to Edmund Zavřel.

Eva Vrchlická's third husband was the Shakespearean translator Erik Adolf Saudek (1904–1963) , sixteen years her junior . The marriage was concluded in 1934 and lasted through the difficult period of the Protectorate (Erik Saudek was of Jewish origin). Her husband's origin was also the reason for Eva Vrchlická's forced break from her engagement at the National Theatre (1942–1945).  She also did not publish any books during the occupation. After the liberation, she performed again at the National Theatre and collaborated with Erik Saudek on the translation (from Russian) of the Korean play South of the 38th Parallel . The divorce did not take place until 1952.

After the liberation , Eva Vrchlická became involved in left-wing activities.  In 1946, she signed the pro-communist "May Message of Cultural Workers to the Czech People!" published before the May elections to the Constituent National Assembly .  A total of 843 cultural workers signed this election manifesto of the communists .  Later, she signed the pro-communist appeal Forward, not a step back! , which was published on 25 February 1948 in support of the communist coup .  With Ivan Olbracht, she dramatized his novel Anna the Proletarian , which was performed at the National Theatre in 1951–1953.

After the liberation, her most important work was also created – a retelling of William Shakespeare's stories , Queen Mab's Nutcracker .

Eva Vrchlická's last performance, recorded by the National Theatre archive , was the role of the Nanny in Maryše , on 23 January 1959.  In the early 1960s, she was still performing publicly – reciting verses.

• Prázdniny (vydal B.M. Klika, Praha, 1925)
• Všecky cesty vedou do Říma (vydal Otakar Štorch-Marien, Praha, 1927) Zobrazení exemplářů s možností jejich objednání
• Křídový kruh (překlad Eva Vrchlická, vydalo Rebcovo nakladatelství, Praha, 1929)
• Dětství s Vrchlickým (vydal Melantrich, Praha, 1939 a 1947, Vyšehrad 1953)
• Cestou necestou (Kniha vzpomínek, vydal Čs. Kompas, Praha, 1946)
• Z oříšku královny Mab (šest povídek ze Shakespeara, ilustroval Karel Svolinský, vydal Melantrich, Praha, 1946)
• U divadla (povídky, vydal Melantrich, Praha, 1947)
• Nová Anděla (S obálkou a ilustracemi Heleny Zmatlíkové, vydala Práce, Praha, 1948)
• Vincka (vydal Československý spisovatel, Praha 1950)
• Na jih od 38. rovnoběžky (hra ve třech dějstvích, autor Tchaj Djan-čun; z ruské úpravy I. Stoka přeložili E. Vrchlická a E.A. Saudek, vydala Osvěta, Praha, 1951)
• Anna proletářka (Podle románu Ivana Olbrachta, hra o roce 20. v 10 obrazech, autoři: Ivan Olbracht a Eva Vrchlická, vydalo ČDLJ, a Osvěta 1952)
• Básně (Výbor z básní Jaroslava Vrchlického uspořádala a předmluvu napsala Eva Vrchlická; portrét Jaroslava Vrchlického vytvořil Max Švabinský, vydalo SNDK, Praha 1953)

Screenwriting

• 1937 Kříž u potoka (scénář spolu s Františkem Kožíkem a Bohumírem Poláchem podle námětu Karoliny Světlé)

Roles

• Yorickova lebka, (1919, role: Mrs. Relská, directed by Miloš Nový)
• Stavitel chrámu (1919, Alena, directed by Karel Degl, Antonín Novotný)
• Žena pod křížem (1937, Mrs. Maternová, directed by Vladimír Slavínský)
• Rukavička (1941, Berková, Mařenky's mother , directed by Jan Alfréd Holman)
• Divá Bára (1949, spice girl, directed by Vladimír Čech)