Actress in Spite of Herself: The Life of Anna Cora Mowatt

Anna Cora Mowatt, married in 1834 at age 15, lived in luxury until her husband's health failed and he lost his money, forcing her to find a way to support them. She was the first woman to give public poetry readings; she wrote the first social satire for the stage; and, having become a star overnight without previous acting experience, she was the first American to make acting a respectable profession for women--proving that a lady could be an actress and an actress a lady.

“High school girls will find this an enthralling story of Anna Cora Mowatt, who ... was the first American to make the status of a woman in the theater both respectable and admirable. As a child, Anna enjoyed acting and performing in plays at home, but had no designs on becoming a professional because of society’s sentiments.... Then bankruptcy threatened her lavish estate and she turned to public reading of poetry, at which she was supremely successful. Success in playwriting led to her serious involvement in the theater.” --Best Sellers

“Married at 15, [Anna] flitted through a happy social life for a while, wrote pleasant articles for magazines of the time ... and, after her husband's health and fortune failed, supported them both by acting succesfully in this country and England.” --Seattle Daily Times

“She is a woman who will interest teenage girls.... The writing indicates close attention to Mrs. Mowatt's autobiography and family documents. It also offers a close scrutiny of nineteenth century theatre in America.” --Kirkus Reviews