Forgotten Leading Ladies of the American Theatre: Lives of Eight Female Players, Playwrights, Directors, Managers and Activists of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

These eight women made remarkable contributions: Laura Keene challenged tradition in 1858 by heading her own dramatic troupe; her career was ruined by Lincoln’s assassination. Mrs. John Drew, a star at 7 who toured until she was 76, was the matriarch of the Barrymore dynasty. Anna Cora Mowatt eloped at 15 with a lawyer more than twice her age, and went on the stage when he lost his fortune. She wrote a play, Fashion, that is still performed 140 years later. Five other women also have fascinating stories of courage and talent: Susanna Haswell Rowson, Sophia Turner, Charlotte Cushman, Fanny Kemble and Minnie Madern Fiske.