List of American women in 19th century theater

A

• Emma Abbott - (December 9, 1850 - January 5, 1891) Born in Chicago, Illinois.
  • Hamnet Records for Emma Abbott

• Bessie Abott (1878-February 9, 1919) Born Bessie Pickens in Heuvelton, New York.

• Florence Adelaide Fowle Adams (October 15, 1863 - July 31, 1916) Born Florence Adelaide Fowle in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

• Maude Adams (November 11, 1872 - July 17, 1953) Born Maude Ewing Adams Kiskadden in Salt Lake City, Utah.
  • Hamnet Records for Maude Adams

• Suzanne Adams (November 28, 1872 - February 5, 1953) Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

• Sara Adler (May 26, 1858 - April 28, 1953) Born Sara Levitskaya in Odessa, Ukraine, Russian Empire.

• Ullie Akerstrom (March 17, 1864 - August 10, 1941) Born Ulrika Akerstrom in New York City.

• Viola Alberti (July 10, 1871 - May 8, 1957) Born Mary Viola Alberti in Lewistown, Pennsylvania.

• Viola Allen (October 27, 1867 - May 9, 1948) Born Viola Emily Allen in Huntsville, Alabama.
  • Hamnet Records for Viola Allen

• Mary Anderson (July 28, 1859 - May 29, 1940) Born Mary Antoinette Anderson in Sacramento, California.
  • Hamnet Records for Mary Anderson

B

• Emily Bancker (1861/62 - June 5, 1897)
• Charlotte Mary Sanford Barnes (1818 - April 14, 1863) Born in Massachusetts.
• Ethel Barrymore (August 15, 1879 - June 18, 1959) Born Ethel Mae Blythe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Isabel Bateman (December 28, 1854 - 1934) Born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Kate Josephine Bateman Crowe (October 7, 1842 - April 8, 1917) Born Kate Josephine Bateman in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Sidney Frances Bateman (March 29, 1823 - January 13, 1881) Born Sidney Frances Cowell in England.
• Virginia Frances Bateman (January 1, 1853 - May 4, 1940) Born in New York, she was also known as Mrs. Edward Compton and Virginia Mackenzie.
• Blanche Bates (August 25, 1873 - December 25, 1941) Born in Portland, Oregon.
• Nora Bayes (October 3, 1880 - March 19, 1928) Born Rachel Eleanora Goldberg in Chicago, Illinois.
• Louise Beaudet (December 5, 1859 - December 31, 1947) Born Marie Louise Anna Beaudet in Lothbiniere, Quebec, Canada.
• Rose Beaudet (1862 - 1947) Born Eliza Lang in Stockton, California near San Francisco.
• Laura Joyce Bell (May 1854 - May 30, 1904) Born Laura Joyce Maskell in London, England.
• Ann West Bignall (1760's - 1805) Born Ann West.
• Amelia Bingham (March 20, 1869 - September 1, 1927) Born Amelia Swilley Bingham in Hicksville, Ohio.
• Kitty Blanchard (1847 - December 14, 1911) Born Elizabeth Blanchard from Pennsylvania.
• Lillian Blauvelt (1873 - 1947) Born in New York City.
• Clara Bloodgood (August 23, 1870 - December 5, 1907) Born in Long Branch, New Jersey.
• Marjorie Bonner (d. November 15, 1895) Born Catherine F. Goodwin and not associated with Marjorie Bonner of the Ziegfeld Follies.
• Jessie Bonstelle (November 1871 - October 14, 1932) Born Laura Justine Bonstelle in Greece, New York.
• Agnes Booth (October 4, 1843 - January 2, 1910) Born Marian Agnes Land Rookes in Sydney, New South Wales.
• Elizabeth Crocker Bowers (March 12, 1830 - November 6, 1895) Born in Stamford, Connecticut and professionally known as Mrs. D.P. Bowers.
• May Brookyn (1854/59 - February 15, 1894) Born in Greater London, England.
• Cora Urquhart Brown-Potter (May 15, 1857 - February 12, 1936) Born Mary Cora Urquhart in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Nellie Marie Burns (1850s - June 16, 1897) Born Ellen Marie Sherman in Waltham, Massachusetts.
• Marie Burroughs (1866 - March 4, 1926) Born Lillie Arrington in San Jose, California.
• Jessie Busley (1869 - 1950)
• Sarah Hildreth Butler (August 17, 1816 - April 8, 1876) Born Sarah Jones Hildreth in Dracut, Massachusetts.

C

• Marie Cahill (December 29, 1866 - August 23, 1933) Born Mary "Marie" Cahill in Brooklyn, New York.
• Georgia Caine (October 30, 1876 - April 4, 1964) Born in San Francisco, California.
• Beatrice Cameron (1868 - July 12, 1940) Born Susan Hegeman in Troy, New York.
• Leslie Carter (June 10, 1857 - November 13, 1937) Born Caroline Louise Dudley in Lexington, Kentucky.
• Emma Carus (March 18, 1879 - November 18, 1927) Born in New York City.
• Louise Carver (June 9, 1869 - June 18, 1956) Born Mary Louise Stieger in Davenport, Iowa.
• Georgia Cayvan (August 22, 1857 - November 19, 1906) Born Georgie Eva Cayvan in Bath, Maine.
• Henrietta Baker Chanfrau (1837 - 1909) Born Jeannette Davis in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Beatrice Chanler (May 7, 1881 - June 19, 1946) Born Beatrice Minerva Ashley in Charlottesville, Virginia. Also known as Minnie Ashley.
• Caroline Chapman (c. 1818 - May 8, 1876) Born in San Francisco, California.
• Edythe Chapman (October 8, 1863 - October 15, 1948) Born in Rochester, New York.
• Charlotte Baldwin (1778 - 1856)
• Alfreda Chippendale (1842 - November 9, 1887) Born Alfreda Schoolcraft in New Orleans, Louisiana. Also known as Alfreda "Alfy" Chippendale.
• Gertrude Claire (July 16, 1852 - April 28, 1928) Born in Chicago, Illinois.
• Ada Clare (July, 1834 - March 4, 1874) Born Ada Agnes Jane McElhenney in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Marguerite Clark (February 22, 1883 - September 25, 1940) Born Helen Marguerite Clark in Avondale, Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Kate Claxton (August 24, 1848 - May 5, 1924) Born in Somerville, New Jersey.
• Viola Katherine Clemmons (November 17, 1874 - December 24, 1930) Born in Scotts County, Illinois and used the stage name Katherine Dayan.
• Josephine Clifton (1813? - 1847) Possibly born in New York or Philadelphia and possible surname Miller.
• Ella Maria Dietz Clymer (January 27, 1847 - January 9, 1920) Born Ella Maria Dietz in New York City.
• Laura Sedgwick Collins (1859 - 1927) Born Laura Sedgwick in Poughkeepsie, New York.
• Nanette Comstock (July 17, 1866 - June 22, 1942) Born in Albany, New York.
• Ida Conquest (February 26, 1876 - July 12, 1937)
• Sarah Crocker Conway (1834 - April 28, 1875) Born in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
• Ethyle Cooke (August 4, 1885 - April 20, 1949) Born in Lynn, Massachusetts.
• Mabelle Gilman Corey (December 4, 1874 - November 14, 1960) Born Mabelle Gillman in San Francisco, California. Also known as Mrs. William Ellis Corey.
• Mae Costello (August 13, 1882 - August 2, 1929) Born Mae Altschuk in Brooklyn, New York.
• Lotta Crabtree (November 7, 1847 - September 25, 1924) Born Charlotte Mignon Crabtree in New York City.
• Marcella Craft (August 11, 1874 - December 12, 1959) Born Marcia Craft in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Maida Craigen (1861 - April 5, 1942)
• Laura Hope Crews (December 12, 1879 - November 12, 1942) Born in San Francisco, California.
• Eliza Crisp
• Henrietta Crosman (September 2, 1861 - October 31, 1944) Born Henrietta Foster Crosman in Wheeling, West Virginia.
• Charlotte Cushman (July 23, 1816 - February 18, 1876) Born Charlotte Suanders Cushman in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Pauline Cushman (June 10, 1833 - December 2, 1893) Born Harriet Wood in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Susan Webb Cushman (March 17, 1822 - May 10, 1859) Born in Boston, Massachusetts.

D

• Margaret Dale (actress)
• Helen Dauvray
• Alice Davenport
• Milla Davenport
• Phoebe Davies
• Fay Davis
• Henrietta Vinton Davis
• Jessie Bartlett Davis
• May de Sousa
• Julia Dean (actress)
• Camille D'elmar
• Kate Denin
• Susan Denin
• Laura Don
• Frances Ann Denny Drake
• Virginia Dreher
• Louise Dresser
• Dorothy Drew
• Georgiana Drew
• Louisa Lane Drew
• Helen Dunbar
• Minnie Dupree
• Maud Durbin

E

• Virginia Earle
• Elise, Countess of Edla
• Maxine Elliott
• Edith Ellis (playwright)
• Effie Ellsler
• Agnes Ethel
• Lizzie Evans
• Pearl Eytinge
• Rose Eytinge

F

• Maude Fealy
• Elsie Ferguson
• Bijou Fernandez
• Eliza Riddle Field
• Kate Field
• Margarita Fischer
• Minnie Maddern Fiske
• Harriet Ford
• Louise Woodworth Foss
• Della Fox
• Frances Denny Drake
• Irene Franklin
• Olive Fremstad
• Emma Sheridan Fry

G

• Minna Gale
• Bertha Galland
• Grace George
• Effie Germon
• Sylvia Gerrish
• Amelia Holman Gilfert
• Lulu Glaser
• Katherine Grey (actress)
• Louise Gunning

H

• Louise Closser Hale
• Laura Nelson Hall
• Pauline Hall
• Elizabeth Hamblin
• Virginia Harned
• Alice Harrison
• Percy Haswell
• Ella Hattan
• Grace Henderson
• Ogarita Booth Henderson
• Beatrice Herford
• Adrienne McNeil Herndon
• Chrystal Herne
• Bijou Heron
• Matilda Heron
• Mabel Hite
• Edna Wallace Hopper
• Kate Horn
• Jean Hosmer
• Lotty Hough
• Jobyna Howland
• Caroline Miskel Hoyt
• Hyers Sisters

I

• Isabel Irving (February 18, 1871 - September 1, 1944) Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

J

• Ethel Jackson (November 1, 1877 – November 23, 1957) Born Ethel Hart Jackson in Berlin, Germany.
• Fanny Janauschek (July 20, 1829 – November 28, 1904) Born Franziska Romana Magdalena Janauschek in Prague, Austrian Empire.
• Elsie Janis (March 16, 1889 – February 26, 1956) Born Elsie Bierbower in Marion, Ohio.
• Marie Jansen (November 18, 1857 – March 20, 1914) Born Harriet Mary Johnson in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Cornelia Frances Jefferson (October 1, 1796 - October 24, 1848) Born Cornelia Frances Thomas in New York.
• Maud Jeffries (December 14, 1869 - September 26, 1946) Born Maud Evelyn Craven Jeffries at Willow Farm, Coahoma County, Mississippi.
• Izetta Jewel (November 24, 1883 – November 14, 1978) Born Izetta Jewel Kenney in Hackettstown, New Jersey.
• Susan Johnstone (November 29, 1792 - December 25, 1850) Born Georgiana Susannah Johnston in Covent Garden, London.
• Avonia Jones (July 12, 1839 – October 4, 1867) Born in New York City.
• Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones (January 5, 1868 or 1869 – June 24, 1933) Born Matilda SIssieretta Joyner, also known as The Black Patti, in Portsmouth, Virginia.
• Pauline Joran (August 3, 1870 - August 13, 1954) Born Clara Pauline Joran in Freeport, Illinois.

K

• Florence Kahn (actress) (March 3, 1878 - January 13, 1951) Born in Memphis Tennessee. Also known as Lady Beerbohm.
• Bertha Kalich (May 17, 1874 - April 18, 1939) Born Beylke Kalakh in present day Lviv, Ukraine. She also spelled her name Kalish.
• Kathleen Kerrigan (actress) (c. 1869 - January 17, 1957) Born in Louisville, Kentucky.
• Kathryn Kidder (1868 – September 7, 1939) Also known as Mrs. L.K. Anspacher, she was born in Newark, New Jersey.
• Jennie Kimball (June 20, 1848 – March 23, 1896) Born in Portland, Maine, she was also known by the names Jennie Kimball Flaherty and Jennie Kimball Schaefer.
• Sarah Kirby-Stark (1813–1898)
• Mrs. Edward Knight (July 26, 1804 - 1861) Born Mary Ann Povey in Birmingham, England.

L

• Lucille La Verne
• La Sylphe
• Paulina Lavitz
• Lillian Lawrence
• Louise Le Baron
• Sarah Cowell Le Moyne
• Jennie Lee (American actress)
• Lillian Lee
• Mercedes Leigh
• Amy Leslie
• Elsie Leslie
• Annie Lewis
• Clara Lipman
• Keni Liptzin
• Little Tuesday
• Eliza Logan
• Olive Logan
• Marion Lorne

M

• Annie Mack
• Jessie Mackaye
• Marietta Judah
• Julia Marlowe
• Mary Maurice
• Olive May
• Kate Mayhew
• Margaret Mayo (playwright)
• Mollie McConnell
• Nancy McIntosh
• Margaret McWade
• Rose Melville
• Adah Isaacs Menken
• Ann Brunton Merry
• Maggie Mitchell
• Helena Modjeska
• Virginia Monier
• Annabelle Moore
• Polly Moran
• Jane Morgan (actress)
• Giuseppina Morlacchi
• Clara Morris
• Anna Cora Mowatt

N

• Miriam Nesbitt (September 14, 1873 - August 11, 1954) Born in Chicago, Illinois.
• Alice Nielsen (June 7, 1872 - March 8, 1943) Born in Nashville, Tennessee.

O

• Alice Oates (September 22, 1849 - January 10, 1887) Born Alice Merritt in Nashville, Tennessee.
• Maude Odell (November 10, 1870 - February 27, 1939) Born in Beaufort, South Carolina, she was also known as Maude O'Dell, Tillie Doremus and Maude Odell Doremus.
• Peggy O'Neil (June 16, 1898 - January 7, 1960) Born in Gneeveguilla, County Kerry, Ireland.
• Julie Opp (January 28, 1871 - April 9, 1921) Born in New York City.
• Elita Proctor Otis (1851/1860 - August 10, 1927) Born in Cleveland, Ohio.

P

• Mabel Paige
• Minnie Palmer
• Charlotte Blair Parker
• Jane Peyton
• Annie Pixley
• Charlotte Wrighten Placide
• Jane Placide
• Eliza Poe
• Madame Ponisi
• Lily Post
• Kate Price (actress)
• Eva Puck

Q

R

• Lulah Ragsdale
• Jessie Ralph
• Phyllis Rankin
• Dora Knowlton Ranous
• Kate Raymond
• Olive Redpath
• Ada Rehan
• Carrie Reynolds
• Fanny Rice
• Emily Rigl
• Blanche Ring
• Annie Robe
• Florence Roberts
• Florence Roberts (actress)
• May Robson
• Genevieve Rogers
• Rose Sydell
• Isadore Rush
• Ada Dwyer Russell
• Annie Russell
• Lillian Russell

S

• Josie Sadler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josie_Sadler
• Julia Sanderson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Sanderson
• Sibyl Sanderson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibyl_Sanderson
• Zelda Sears https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelda_Sears
• Evelyn Selbie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Selbie
• Selene Johnson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selene_Johnson
• Effie Shannon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effie_Shannon
• Truly Shattuck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truly_Shattuck
• Charlotte Shelby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Shelby
• Sydney Shields https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Shields
• Catherine Norton Sinclair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Norton_Sinclair
• Beverley Sitgreaves https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverley_Sitgreaves
• Rose Stahl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Stahl
• Genevieve Stebbins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevieve_Stebbins
• Rowena Granice Steele https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowena_Granice_Steele

T

• Edith Taliaferro https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Taliaferro
• Fay Templeton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fay_Templeton
• Gertrude Thanhouser https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Thanhouser
• Bessie Thomashefsky https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Thomashefsky
• Minnie Tittell Brune https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnie_Tittell_Brune
• Helen Tracy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Tracy
• Sarah Truax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Truax
• Carrie Turner (actress) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Turner_(actress)
• Florence Turner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Turner
• Odette Tyler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odette_Tyler
• Elizabeth Tyree https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Tyree

U

• Geraldine Ulmar (June 23, 1862 - August 13, 1932) Born Annie Geraldine Ulmar in Charlestown, Massachusetts.
• Isabelle Urquhart (December 9, 1865 - February 7, 1907) Born in New York City.

V

• Grace Van Studdiford (January 8, 1873 - January 29, 1927) Born Grace Quivey in North Manchester, Indiana.
• Marie van Zandt (October 8 1858 - December 31, 1919) Born in Manhattan, New York City.
• Vera Freeman (1865 - 1896)

• Mary Ann Vincent (September 18, 1818 - September 4, 1887) Born in Portsmouth, England.
• Annie Von Behren (1857 - November 30, 1882) Born in New York City.

W

• Marie Wainwright (May 8, 1853 - August 17, 1923) Born Marie Page Wainwright in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Charlotte Walker (December 20, 1876 – March 23, 1958) Born Charlotte Ganahl Walker in Galveston, Texas.
• Aida Overton Walker (February 14, 1880 – October 11, 1914) Born Aida Overton in Richmond, Virginia. She also spelled her name "Ada."
• Blanche Walsh (January 4, 1873 – October 31, 1915) Born in New York City.
• Fannie Ward (February 22, 1872 – January 27, 1952) Born Fannie Buchanan in St. Louis, Missouri.
• Helen Ware (October 15, 1877 – January 25, 1939) Born Helen Remer in San Francisco, California.
• Ida Waterman (March 10, 1852 – May 22, 1941) Born Ida Shaw in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Stella Weaver (1856 – June 3, 1936) Born Stella Boniface Weaver in Richmond, Virginia.
• Mary E. Webb (1828 – June 17, 1859) Born Mary Espartero Webb in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
• Rebecca Weintraub (1873-July 30, 1952) Born in Odessa, Russian Empire.
• Lucille Western (January 8, 1843 - January 11, 1877) Born Pauline Lucille Western.
• Helen Westley (March 28, 1875 – December 12, 1942) Born Henrietta Remsen Meserole Manney in Brooklyn, New York.
• Sarah Wheatley (1790 - July 1854) Born Sarah Ross in St. John, New Brunswick.
• Blanche Whiffen (1845–1936) Born Blanche Galton, and also known as Mrs. Thomas Whiffen, in London, England.
• Whitman Sisters
  • Mabel (May) Whitman (1880 - 1942) Born in Ohio.
  • Essie Barbara Whitman (July 4, 1882 - May 7, 1963) Born in Osceola, Arkansas.
  • Alberta "Bert" Whitman (1887 - 1964) Born in Kansas.
  • Alice Whitman (1900 - December 29, 1968) Born in Georgia.
• Dora Wiley (1852/53 - November 2, 1924) Born in Bucksport, Maine.
• Bertha M. Wilson (August 14, 1874 – 1936) Born Bertha May Wilson in Missouri.
• Jennie Worrell (1850 - August 11, 1899) Born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

X

Y

• Ellen Beach Yaw (September 14, 1869 - September 9, 1947) Born near Buffalo, New York.
• Annie Yeamans (November 19, 1835 - March 3, 1912) Born Annie Griffiths Yeamans outside of the United States.
• May Yohé (April 6, 1866 - August 29, 1938) Born Mary Augusta Yohe in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
• Rida Johnson Young (February 28, 1875 - May 8, 1926) Born in Baltimore, Maryland.

Z