List of American women in 19th century theater
A
- Emma Abbott - (December 9, 1850 - January 5, 1891) Operatic soprano from Chicago, Illinois. Played at the Royal Opera in London, Covent Garden. Returned to America and founded the Abbott English Opera Company with her husband Eugene Wetherell. Sang in the Abbott English Opera Company as Juliette in Charles Gounod's Romeo et Juliette (1867).
- Bessie Abott (1878-February 9, 1919) Born Bessie Pickens in Heuvelton, New York. American operatic soprano who made her professional debut at Pickens Hall (built by her grandfather, John Pickens Sr.). Performed in Charles Gounod's Romeo et Juliette as Juliette.
- Florence Adelaide Fowle Adams (October 15, 1863 - July 31, 1916) Born Florence Adelaide Fowle in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Dramatic reader and teacher at the Boston School of Oratory.
- Maude Adams (November 11, 1872 - July 17, 1953) Born Maude Ewing Adams Kiskadden in Salt Lake City, Utah. Greatest success as Peter Pan on Broadway, 1905. Portrayed Juliet in Romeo and Juliet in (1899), Portia in The Merchant of Venice (1931), and Maria in Twelfth Night (1934).
- Suzanne Adams (November 28, 1872 - February 5, 1953) Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, debuted at the Paris Opera in 1894/1895 in Charles Gounod's Romeo et Juliette. Appeared at Covent Garden in London as Hero in C.V. Stanford's Much Ado About Nothing (1898).
- 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, she was a dancer, actress and playwrite.
- 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, she played leading roles in Shakespeare and other plays. Twelfth Night, A Winter's Tale, As you Like It (1911). Played the roles of Cordelia and Desdemona, among others.
- Mary Anderson (July 28, 1859 - May 29, 1940) Born Mary Antoinette Anderson in Sacramento, California. Later became Mary Anderson de Nevarro. Played Lady MacBeth in 1877, Romeo and Juliet (1884), The Winter's Tale double role of Perdita and Hermione (1887)
B
- Emily Bancker (1861/62 - June 5, 1897)
- Charlotte Mary Sanford Barnes (1818 - April 14, 1863) Born in Massachusettes, Barnes was an American actress and playwrite.
- Ethel Barrymore (August 15, 1879 - June 18, 1959) Born Ethel Mae Blythe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Played in the Garrick Theatre in London's West End in 1901. Played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (1922).
- Isabel Bateman (December 28, 1854 - 1934) Born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Played Desdemona in Othello at the Lyceum theatre, London.
- Kate Josephine Bateman Crowe (October 7, 1842 - April 8, 1917) Born Kate Josephine Bateman in Baltimore, Maryland. Performed excerpts from Shakespeare's plays around the country with her sister Ellen.
- Sidney Frances Bateman (March 29, 1823 - January 13, 1881) Born Sidney Frances Cowell in England. Referenced with Henry Irving. She became manager of the Sadler's Wells Theatre.
- Virginia Frances Bateman (January 1, 1853 - May 4, 1940) Born in New York, she was also known as Mrs. Edward Compton and Virginia Mackenzie. Played with Henry Irving.
- 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. She was a singer, actress, and comedian.
- Louise Beaudet (December 5, 1859 - December 31, 1947) Born Marie Louise Anna Beaudet in Lothbiniere, Quebec, Canada. Discovered by Frank Drew of the Drew-Barrymore family.
- 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. Played at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
- Ann West Bignall (1760's - 1805) Born Ann West. Daughter of the founder of the Virginia Company, also known as the Virginia Comedians and South Carolina Company. A favorite of Aaron Burr.
- 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, Lillian was an opera singer. Played at the Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall.
- 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. Described as "one of the pioneering women stage directors in the early twentieth century." Was a member in Augustin Daly's company. Had a stake in the Garrick Theater, but sold it in 1924. Did a production of Romeo and Juliet (1926) and Hamlet (1927). Opened one of America's first civic theaters called Bonstelle's Playhouse.
- Agnes Booth (October 4, 1843 - January 2, 1910) Born Marian Agnes Land Rookes in Sydney, New South Wales. In-law of the Booth brothers, having married Junius Brutus Booth, Jr. Played in Romeo and Juliet (1874).
- Elizabeth Crocker Bowers (March 12, 1830 - November 6, 1895) Born in Stamford, Connecticut and professionally known as Mrs. D.P. Bowers. Sister of actress Sarah Crocker Conway. In 1863, she played Juliet and Lady Macbeth at the Winter Garden (no longer in existence).
- 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. Stage debut at Theatre Royal in Brighton.
- Nellie Marie Burns (1850s - June 16, 1897) Born Ellen Marie Sherman in Waltham, Massachusetts. Stage actress until her marriage to Thomas N. Burns.
- Marie Burroughs (1866 - March 4, 1926) Born Lillie Arrington in San Jose, California.
- Jessie Busley (1869 - 1950) Played in Garrick Theatre, Daly's Theatre, and productions of The Winter's Tale and Twelfth Night.
- Sarah Hildreth Butler (August 17, 1816 - April 8, 1876) Born Sarah Jones Hildreth in Dracut, Massachusetts. Retired from stage performance after marriage.
C
Marie Cahill
Georgia Caine
Beatrice Cameron
Mrs. Leslie Carter
Emma Carus
Louise Carver
Georgia Cayvan
Henrietta Baker Chanfrau
Beatrice Chanler
Caroline Chapman
Edythe Chapman
Charlotte Baldwin
Alfreda Chippendale
Gertrude Claire
Ada Clare
Marguerite Clark
Kate Claxton
Viola Katherine Clemmons
Josephine Clifton
Ella Maria Dietz Clymer
Laura Sedgwick Collins
Nanette Comstock
Ida Conquest
Sarah Crocker Conway
Ethyle Cooke
Mabelle Gilman Corey
Mae Costello
Lotta Crabtree
Marcella Craft
Maida Craigen
Laura Hope Crews
Henrietta Crosman
Charlotte Cushman
Pauline Cushman
Susan Webb Cushman
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, born 1830)
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
Eliza Crisp
Eliza Riddle Field
Elizabeth Hamblin
Maxine Elliott
Edith Ellis (playwright)
Effie Ellsler
Agnes Ethel
Lizzie Evans
Pearl Eytinge
Rose Eytinge
F
Maude Fealy
Elsie Ferguson
Bijou Fernandez
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
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
J
Ethel Jackson
Fanny Janauschek
Elsie Janis
Marie Jansen
Cornelia Frances Jefferson
Maud Jeffries
Izetta Jewel
Susan Johnstone
Avonia Jones
Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones
Pauline Joran
K
Florence Kahn (actress)
Bertha Kalich
Kathleen Kerrigan (actress)
Kathryn Kidder
Jennie Kimball
Sarah Kirby-Stark
Mrs. Edward Knight
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
Alice Nielsen
O
Alice Oates
Maude Odell
Peggy O'Neil
Julie Opp
Elita Proctor Otis
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
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
Julia Sanderson
Sibyl Sanderson
Zelda Sears
Evelyn Selbie
Selene Johnson
Effie Shannon
Truly Shattuck
Charlotte Shelby
Sydney Shields
Catherine Norton Sinclair
Beverley Sitgreaves
Rose Stahl
Genevieve Stebbins
Rowena Granice Steele
T
Edith Taliaferro
Fay Templeton
Gertrude Thanhouser
Bessie Thomashefsky
Minnie Tittell Brune
Helen Tracy
Sarah Truax
Carrie Turner (actress)
Florence Turner
Odette Tyler
Elizabeth Tyree
U
Geraldine Ulmar
Isabelle Urquhart
V
Grace Van Studdiford
Marie van Zandt
Vera Freeman
Mary Ann Vincent
Annie Von Behren
W
Marie Wainwright
Charlotte Walker
Aida Overton Walker
Blanche Walsh
Fannie Ward
Helen Ware
Ida Waterman
Stella Weaver
Mary E. Webb
Rebecca Weintraub
Lucille Western
Helen Westley
Sarah Wheatley
Blanche Whiffen
Whitman Sisters
Dora Wiley
Bertha M. Wilson
Jennie Worrell
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 she was a musical actress.
- Rida Johnson Young (February 28, 1875 - May 8, 1926) Born in Baltimore, Maryland she was a playwrite.
Z