List of American women in 19th century theater

A

  • Emma Abbott - (December 9, 1850 - January 5, 1891) Operatic soprano from Chicago, Illinois.
  • Bessie Abott (1878-February 9, 1919) Born Bessie Pickens in Heuvelton, New York.
  • Maude Adams (November 11, 1872 - July 17, 1953) Born Maude Ewing Adams Kiskadden in Salt Lake City, Utah.
  • 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.
  • Mary Anderson (July 28, 1859 - May 29, 1940) Born Mary Antoinette Anderson in Sacramento, California.

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. 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.
  • 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

D

E

F

G

H

I

  • Isabel Irving (February 18, 1871 - September 1, 1944) Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Played the role of Audrey in As You Like It, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Merry Wives of Windsor.

J

K

L

M

N

  • Miriam Nesbitt (September 14, 1873 - August 11, 1954) Born in Chicago, Illinois, she became a stage and film actress.
  • Alice Nielsen (June 7, 1872 - March 8, 1943) Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Alice became a Broadway performer and opera singer. Performed Mozart at Covent Garden.

O

  • Alice Oates (September 22, 1849 - January 10, 1887) Born Alice Merritt in Nashville, Tennessee, she became an actress, theatre manager and pioneer of American musical theatre.
  • 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, she was an Irish-American stage and film actress.
  • Julie Opp (January 28, 1871 - April 9, 1921) Born in New York ity, she was an American stage actress. She played the roles of Hymen and Rosalind in productions of As You Like It.
  • Elita Proctor Otis (1851/1860 - August 10, 1927) Born in Cleveland, Ohio. Played the role of Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909 film).

P

Q

R

S

T

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, she worked in musical comedy and opera. Signed on to play in Augustin Daly's company in 1882-1883.

V

  • Grace Van Studdiford (January 8, 1873 - January 29, 1927) Born Grace Quivey in North Manchester, Indiana, she was an American opera singer and actress.
  • Marie van Zandt (October 8 1858 - December 31, 1919) Born in Manhatta, New York City, she was an American soprano opera singer. Appeared at Covent Garden (1879).
  • 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, she became a stage actress in 1876 after working at a dry goods store in Brooklyn.

W

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