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Lady Romeo: The Radical and Revolutionary Life of Charlotte Cushman, America's First Celebrity
For fans of Book of Ages and American Eve, this illuminating and enthralling biography of 19th-century queer actress Charlotte Cushman portrays her radical lifestyle that riveted New York City and made headlines across America.
From the very beginning, she was a radical. At age nineteen, Charlotte Cushman, America’s beloved actress and the country’s first true celebrity, left her life—and countless suitors—behind to make it as a Shakespearean actress. After revolutionizing the role of Lady Macbeth in front of many adoring fans, she went on the road, performing in cities across a dividing America and building her fame. She was everywhere. And yet, her name has faded in the shadows of history.
Now, for the first time in decades, Cushman’s story comes to full and brilliant life in this definitive, exhilarating, and enlightening biography of the 19th-century icon. With rarely seen letters, Wojczuk reconstructs the formative years of Cushman’s life, set against the excitement and drama of New York City in the 1800s, featuring a cast of luminaries and revolutionaries that changed the cultural landscape of America forever.
A vivid portrait of an astonishing and uniquely American life, Lady Romeo reveals one of the most remarkable women in United States history, and restores her to the center stage where she belongs.
From the very beginning, she was a radical. At age nineteen, Charlotte Cushman, America’s beloved actress and the country’s first true celebrity, left her life—and countless suitors—behind to make it as a Shakespearean actress. After revolutionizing the role of Lady Macbeth in front of many adoring fans, she went on the road, performing in cities across a dividing America and building her fame. She was everywhere. And yet, her name has faded in the shadows of history.
Now, for the first time in decades, Cushman’s story comes to full and brilliant life in this definitive, exhilarating, and enlightening biography of the 19th-century icon. With rarely seen letters, Wojczuk reconstructs the formative years of Cushman’s life, set against the excitement and drama of New York City in the 1800s, featuring a cast of luminaries and revolutionaries that changed the cultural landscape of America forever.
A vivid portrait of an astonishing and uniquely American life, Lady Romeo reveals one of the most remarkable women in United States history, and restores her to the center stage where she belongs.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2020
16 people are currently reading
1365 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
December 31, 2023
“Like many women of her time, her lasting impact could be found in the actions of those she inspired.”
I had never heard of Charlotte Cushman, so when I saw this book for a couple of bucks on the bargain rack I picked it up. Alas, this book is not going to increase her reputation and significance. It might actually hurt it.
As the subtitle says, LADY ROMEO is the biography of America’s first celebrity. And it shows (although unintentionally I believe) just how fatuous and unworthy of note “celebrity” really is. Charlotte Cushman was an actress. A very famous one for the time. But this book is really not a biography as much as a hagiography. Apparently Ms. Cushman had no real flaws or foibles. Except it is obvious that she did.
There is not a lot of depth to this text, but the author does seem to want to celebrate and focus more on Cushman’s companions and possible lovers (mostly female) and her bohemian lifestyle. Which ironically makes her life seem even emptier. Ms. Cushman floated from person to person and never seemed settled. She may have had a good and happy life, but this book does not make that case very well.
The text is also riddled with factual errors. Many that I caught at a glance. The author fails this subject on so many levels.
A plus, there are some interesting tidbits about the theater and its environs in the mid nineteenth century that I enjoyed reading about. However, the best part of LADY ROMEO is the first bit of the epilogue which does address (and admits) the fleeting nature / idea of celebrity. 140 years after Cushman’s well documented life and career there is barely enough material for a 178 page book. Celebrities are only for a moment, not for an age, like a Shakespeare, or Mozart, or a Lincoln.
I had never heard of Charlotte Cushman, so when I saw this book for a couple of bucks on the bargain rack I picked it up. Alas, this book is not going to increase her reputation and significance. It might actually hurt it.
As the subtitle says, LADY ROMEO is the biography of America’s first celebrity. And it shows (although unintentionally I believe) just how fatuous and unworthy of note “celebrity” really is. Charlotte Cushman was an actress. A very famous one for the time. But this book is really not a biography as much as a hagiography. Apparently Ms. Cushman had no real flaws or foibles. Except it is obvious that she did.
There is not a lot of depth to this text, but the author does seem to want to celebrate and focus more on Cushman’s companions and possible lovers (mostly female) and her bohemian lifestyle. Which ironically makes her life seem even emptier. Ms. Cushman floated from person to person and never seemed settled. She may have had a good and happy life, but this book does not make that case very well.
The text is also riddled with factual errors. Many that I caught at a glance. The author fails this subject on so many levels.
A plus, there are some interesting tidbits about the theater and its environs in the mid nineteenth century that I enjoyed reading about. However, the best part of LADY ROMEO is the first bit of the epilogue which does address (and admits) the fleeting nature / idea of celebrity. 140 years after Cushman’s well documented life and career there is barely enough material for a 178 page book. Celebrities are only for a moment, not for an age, like a Shakespeare, or Mozart, or a Lincoln.
May 24, 2020
Love me any biography about a woman whom history erased but shouldn't have!
Like probably 99% of Americans, I learned absolutely nothing about Charlotte Cushman growing up and had never heard of her before reading this book. She lived a fascinating and complicated life as an actress, an intellectual, and a queer woman in the 19th century, and there's so much history wrapped up in everything she did.
The only thing that could've made this book better was a little more critical analysis around lesbianism in the 1800s and a fuller picture of women in the arts at that time. I also wish we'd gotten to hear a little bit more about some of the people in Cushman's orbit who left; for example, it's mentioned that her father abandoned his family when Cushman was a child, but there's no real reckoning around what happened or most likely happened. There were just so many interesting gaps that I wanted to see filled.
Like probably 99% of Americans, I learned absolutely nothing about Charlotte Cushman growing up and had never heard of her before reading this book. She lived a fascinating and complicated life as an actress, an intellectual, and a queer woman in the 19th century, and there's so much history wrapped up in everything she did.
The only thing that could've made this book better was a little more critical analysis around lesbianism in the 1800s and a fuller picture of women in the arts at that time. I also wish we'd gotten to hear a little bit more about some of the people in Cushman's orbit who left; for example, it's mentioned that her father abandoned his family when Cushman was a child, but there's no real reckoning around what happened or most likely happened. There were just so many interesting gaps that I wanted to see filled.
April 19, 2020
I’ve been on something of a biography kick lately. But mostly I watched them, reading them it still not on my regular reading menu and yet this one intrigued me. Someone I’ve never heard of and yet someone I wanted to learn about, an actress, a star, an artist, someone who gained fame and fortune on both sides of the Atlantic, was widely celebrated in life…and seemingly all but forgotten in death. Nowadays celebrity worship has reached alarming (much undeserving) proportions, but back in the day, before social media, tv, phones, etc. fame was a different beast altogether. Charlotte Cushman has tamed that beast, though, made it work for her, and became as famous of a celebrity as it was possible during her lifetime. She came from humble beginnings, was deemed too tall (at scandalous 5’7”), too manly in appearance (as in not dainty enough), had to struggle to maintain her lesbian lifestyle private throughout her life despite vicious rumors, had many setbacks (personal and professional) and her sheer immense talent helped her rise above it all to become the definitive Shakespearean actress of her time, specializing in both male and female roles. In fact, as you can tell by the title, her Romeo was legendary and in real life (in some sort of pleasant symmetry) she was quite a Romeo herself, more so even, more like a player, juggling dalliances like a sort of American Gentleman Jack. To read about Cushman’s life was fascinating, positively riveting, as exciting as any work of fiction, in fact it made me think of Tipping The Velvet, only a nonfictional version. Also a very American version, it covers a lot of events that shaped the country in the 1800s. I must say as much as I enjoy historical nonfiction, my preference is usually for something set further back and definitely further away, which is to say it takes a lot to make American past interesting to me and this book has succeeded tremendously in that respect. And Cushman (much like many celebrities nowadays) was an important figure of power at the time, she hung out with Lincoln and raised money for all the right causes. And across the pond, there’s also the time where she lived in Italy and established something of an all women artist colony, all that talent and all that romantic turbulence. It wasn’t a very long life, tragically cut short at 59 (which even considering life expectancy of the time is pretty early), but it was a good and interesting life. Well worth remembering. Well worth reading about. Industrialization age put an end to the sort of leisure time average Americans had to spend in the theatres, overworking led to a general sort of dumbing down and interest in less demanding forms of entertainment (and oh how it parallels the modern times and the rise of the dumbest pastimes ever televised or otherwise) and so Shakespeare was no longer the genuinely democratic sort of fun the bard intended. The words and those who spoke them with such passion were forgotten for a time, but then there’s this book, so awesomely, so vividly bringing to life the bygone days and plays and star who once shone so brightly. Terrific book, a success in every way, exciting, edifying, entertaining…an absolute delight to read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
November 26, 2023
A really good entry-level bio to a fascinating heroine of the 19th century American stage.
Charlotte Cushman was someone I came across while researching Vinnie Ream, a young sculptor who was the first woman to receive an art commission from Congress (the statue in question represented the recently assassinated President Lincoln). When came the time to carve the sculpture base don the plaster model, Vinnie traveled to Rome and there met the infamous "White Marmorean Flock," i.e. the expatriate female artist circle made up of Harriet Hosmer, Edmonia Lewis, Anne Whitney, Emma Stebbins, and, of course, Charlotte Cushman, to name a few.
Charlotte Cushman was near-openly sapphic, although for "propriety" reasons, even her out-and-out female marriages were couched as friendships or purely chaste love. On top of all this, Cushman was a brilliant actress, a true precursor to the magnetic personality of Sarah Bernhardt, who would only grace the world with her performance much later in the century (Cushman died in 1876, whereas Bernhardt had only just had her post-conservatory debut at the Comedie Francaise in 1862).
All in all, I loved learning about Cushman's overall career and personal life, especially given how much of the book is based on Cushman's 1882 biography by Clara Erskine Clement, who, in turn, had the blessing of Cushman's widow Emma Stebbins and unprecedented access to Cushman's correspondence and personal papers.
I think the trouble I have with the biography is twofold.
First, it's romanticized in a sense, never quite giving us a portrait of Cushman with warts and all. Everything is glossy, although Wojczuk does not hide Cushman's propensity to play Romeo to several Juliets at once (her words, not mine). Look, she was a celebrity! And incredibly charming to boot. I can't say I'm surprised, even if it left me feeling sad for her partners. I would have liked to get a better sense of Cushman's strong personality, her ambitions, her flaws, her interpersonal dynamics with those around her, inside the industry as well as out. The contents of this biography feel more akin to the version of events Cushman and her contemporaries would have told, with everything given a slight romantic sheen.
Second, the historical context isn't as developed as it could have been. Which isn't to say that this book should or needed to cover an entire half-century! But I feel like a bit more research into the people surrounding Cushman, the politics of her time, the theatre celebrities and critics, the sponsors, the reviews, the rivals... all of that would have made for very rich reading.
All in all, recommended as key reading for anyone interested in the early-mid 19th century American cultural scene, theatre history, and sapphics through time.
Charlotte Cushman was someone I came across while researching Vinnie Ream, a young sculptor who was the first woman to receive an art commission from Congress (the statue in question represented the recently assassinated President Lincoln). When came the time to carve the sculpture base don the plaster model, Vinnie traveled to Rome and there met the infamous "White Marmorean Flock," i.e. the expatriate female artist circle made up of Harriet Hosmer, Edmonia Lewis, Anne Whitney, Emma Stebbins, and, of course, Charlotte Cushman, to name a few.
Charlotte Cushman was near-openly sapphic, although for "propriety" reasons, even her out-and-out female marriages were couched as friendships or purely chaste love. On top of all this, Cushman was a brilliant actress, a true precursor to the magnetic personality of Sarah Bernhardt, who would only grace the world with her performance much later in the century (Cushman died in 1876, whereas Bernhardt had only just had her post-conservatory debut at the Comedie Francaise in 1862).
All in all, I loved learning about Cushman's overall career and personal life, especially given how much of the book is based on Cushman's 1882 biography by Clara Erskine Clement, who, in turn, had the blessing of Cushman's widow Emma Stebbins and unprecedented access to Cushman's correspondence and personal papers.
I think the trouble I have with the biography is twofold.
First, it's romanticized in a sense, never quite giving us a portrait of Cushman with warts and all. Everything is glossy, although Wojczuk does not hide Cushman's propensity to play Romeo to several Juliets at once (her words, not mine). Look, she was a celebrity! And incredibly charming to boot. I can't say I'm surprised, even if it left me feeling sad for her partners. I would have liked to get a better sense of Cushman's strong personality, her ambitions, her flaws, her interpersonal dynamics with those around her, inside the industry as well as out. The contents of this biography feel more akin to the version of events Cushman and her contemporaries would have told, with everything given a slight romantic sheen.
Second, the historical context isn't as developed as it could have been. Which isn't to say that this book should or needed to cover an entire half-century! But I feel like a bit more research into the people surrounding Cushman, the politics of her time, the theatre celebrities and critics, the sponsors, the reviews, the rivals... all of that would have made for very rich reading.
All in all, recommended as key reading for anyone interested in the early-mid 19th century American cultural scene, theatre history, and sapphics through time.
September 17, 2020
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2020/09/...
I came across this book purely by chance, and since I read it, I’ve sat here wondering just how on earth I planned to write a review about it. And married to that thought, is why don’t more people know about Charlotte Cushman?
I’ve been on a bit of a “women in history” nonfiction bender recently. The more obscure and overlooked, the better, because let’s be real here for a moment. If you want to plumb the depths of forgotten important historical figures, the vast majority of the ones you’ll find are women.
Enter Charlotte Cushman.
I bet you’ve never heard of her. I bet she’s a woman whose name has never crossed your path. That’s how it was for me, and since I’ve read this book, I’ve been a bit obsessed.
Now, before I get into the details of Cushman’s life and what, exactly, this biography is about, I want to take a moment to tell you how accessible this book really was. Some biographies are hard to get into, because they read more like a textbook than the story of someone’s life. This one, however, is grounded. There is a lot of fact here, and a lot of information given to the reader, but Tana Wojczuk never derails herself from the easily accessible manner in which she started the book. The story is broken up into short, rather punchy chapters which keeps the reader from ever feeling bogged down. I never felt like I was reading a textbook. I never felt like I was being buried alive under mountains of information. What Wojczuk really excels at, is telling a purely human story, in a very human fashion.
Charlotte Cushman is a fascinating historical figure that has been largely forgotten and really shouldn’t have been. Having been one of America’s very first celebrities, she was wildly popular in her day and age. Alive in the 1800s, she lived through a lot of this nation’s earliest growing pains, and not only suffered loss and tragedy (personally and politically), but was thrust into the national spotlight at an early age and thrived there. The title of the book, Lady Romeo, is applicable for many reasons, but I think the primary one is due to the fact that Cushman was one of the first actors to bring Shakespeare to life for American audiences.
“For Charlotte, a character was not only learned but grasped at once in a flash of intuition. Then she would distill the character through repetition. Charlotte’s Meg was so popular the show was extended. When her stockings wore out, Charlotte mended them rather than buy new ones, to keep up the appearance of age and poverty. When her costume needed to be replaced, she dyed the new one by hand, rubbing it with dirt and other mixtures she invented herself to age it. She continued to do her makeup and hair as she had done that first night: a river of lines and age spots.”
One of the many interesting things about Cushman’s life, was how she grew on stage, but also along with this fledgling nation she was part of. She became an adult in the public eye. She weathered a lot of storms that assaulted the early United States of America, and she did it all while standing in the spotlight. It was fascinating, how Wojczuk managed to tell the story of Cushman as set against the dynamic and changing backdrop of a nation that is just learning how to be a nation. She met some incredible people, too. For example, in her role as an actress, she was introduced to Abraham Lincoln.
And lest you believe she was some small-fry celebrity, she wasn’t. There were crowds of people who would follow her around, mob her, make life hard. She was always on stage in public, even when she wasn’t on stage. Her private life was carefully protected, but never fully private either. She was also known internationally and spent time in Europe enjoying the adulation there. She was a Very Big Deal.
One thing that I really love about history is how nothing is new, and sometimes you run across a book that highlights that fact. Charlotte Cushman was a lesbian, and openly lived with her lovers, and considered herself married. Charlotte and her wife went on tour together, traveled together, braved mobs of fans together, and while it’s not surprising that gay people existed in the early 1800’s, what did surprise me was how open and unapologetic she was about it. When I think of LGBTQ+ people in the early 1800’s, I generally assume they would have had to be pretty quiet about it, and that just wasn’t how it played out for Cushman at all. She was very much a, “this is who I am, take it or leave it” kind of woman.
And this isn’t to say that Cushman’s romantic life was ever easy. There were ups and downs, but she was a very pragmatic, forward-thinking woman who, in a lot of ways, used her status and influence to fight for women’s rights, and equality, and I daresay being so open and unashamed about her sexuality likely did a world of good for others around her who were likewise part of the LGBT+ community.
“Charlotte’s legacy is present, though invisible, in every-one of these performances. She was the first to prove that an American could interpret Shakespeare onstage. She resurrected the original text of Romeo and Juliet, and her interpretations of many of Shakespeare’s characters survive today. She inspired generations of women to wear the breeches, on- and offstage.”
This is also, perhaps, the one part of the book that I wished to see more of. The author never goes much into detail about Cushman’s love life or her relationships, and there’s precious little examination of the broader LGBT+ community during her time. While I can see the reasons for this: Cushman is far more than a lesbian, and she should be examined as such, I really did want more about her relationships, about her place in the world and her struggles in a time where stuff like this just was not done (and if it was, it was kept quiet). That being said, Cushman was very powerful in her time, and influenced and empowered many other women with her unabashed resolution to ditch the dress and wear pants (gasp) and her fight for equality both on and off the stage, and so much more.
And yes, the author does cover some of her worries. For example, Wojczuk does touch on the fact that Cushman worried, especially early in her career, about what would happen if the populous found out she was married to a woman. Furthermore, Americans seemed to be more conservative and prone to making a big deal out of her relationships and her prevalence for wearing pants than those in Europe. However, I think I still wanted more.
It did make this book feel a little off-balance. Wojczuk is best when she’s detailing Cushman’s life on stage, her acting, and her time in front of people, in any respect. However, her personal life, her inner thoughts, and the people around her all seemed to pale a bit in comparison, and that’s really where I would have enjoyed more information. Not just about the LGBT+ and women’s rights, but just life in general. Cushman often felt like a person when she was onstage, but not so much in private, and that’s unfortunate. It resulted in a bit of an unbalanced feel, and some disconcerting time jumps where we skip ahead a few years in her life with not a whole lot of explanation of what happened in those intervening years.
So, what does this leave us with?
Despite the fact that Lady Romeo did feel a little off-balance, and I ultimately wanted more information, this book was impossible to put down. Charlotte Cushman was a powerhouse in her day and age, a woman who was unashamedly exactly who she was. She blazed a trail that many still, unknowingly, follow today. Her influence has resonated through the centuries, and still, somehow, she was forgotten. It is unfortunate that so many powerful, incredible women get lost in the shuffle of time. It is a blessing that Wojczuk is bringing her to life here. Charlotte’s story is one that needs to be told, and her influence should be recognized.
4/5 stars
I came across this book purely by chance, and since I read it, I’ve sat here wondering just how on earth I planned to write a review about it. And married to that thought, is why don’t more people know about Charlotte Cushman?
I’ve been on a bit of a “women in history” nonfiction bender recently. The more obscure and overlooked, the better, because let’s be real here for a moment. If you want to plumb the depths of forgotten important historical figures, the vast majority of the ones you’ll find are women.
Enter Charlotte Cushman.
I bet you’ve never heard of her. I bet she’s a woman whose name has never crossed your path. That’s how it was for me, and since I’ve read this book, I’ve been a bit obsessed.
Now, before I get into the details of Cushman’s life and what, exactly, this biography is about, I want to take a moment to tell you how accessible this book really was. Some biographies are hard to get into, because they read more like a textbook than the story of someone’s life. This one, however, is grounded. There is a lot of fact here, and a lot of information given to the reader, but Tana Wojczuk never derails herself from the easily accessible manner in which she started the book. The story is broken up into short, rather punchy chapters which keeps the reader from ever feeling bogged down. I never felt like I was reading a textbook. I never felt like I was being buried alive under mountains of information. What Wojczuk really excels at, is telling a purely human story, in a very human fashion.
Charlotte Cushman is a fascinating historical figure that has been largely forgotten and really shouldn’t have been. Having been one of America’s very first celebrities, she was wildly popular in her day and age. Alive in the 1800s, she lived through a lot of this nation’s earliest growing pains, and not only suffered loss and tragedy (personally and politically), but was thrust into the national spotlight at an early age and thrived there. The title of the book, Lady Romeo, is applicable for many reasons, but I think the primary one is due to the fact that Cushman was one of the first actors to bring Shakespeare to life for American audiences.
“For Charlotte, a character was not only learned but grasped at once in a flash of intuition. Then she would distill the character through repetition. Charlotte’s Meg was so popular the show was extended. When her stockings wore out, Charlotte mended them rather than buy new ones, to keep up the appearance of age and poverty. When her costume needed to be replaced, she dyed the new one by hand, rubbing it with dirt and other mixtures she invented herself to age it. She continued to do her makeup and hair as she had done that first night: a river of lines and age spots.”
One of the many interesting things about Cushman’s life, was how she grew on stage, but also along with this fledgling nation she was part of. She became an adult in the public eye. She weathered a lot of storms that assaulted the early United States of America, and she did it all while standing in the spotlight. It was fascinating, how Wojczuk managed to tell the story of Cushman as set against the dynamic and changing backdrop of a nation that is just learning how to be a nation. She met some incredible people, too. For example, in her role as an actress, she was introduced to Abraham Lincoln.
And lest you believe she was some small-fry celebrity, she wasn’t. There were crowds of people who would follow her around, mob her, make life hard. She was always on stage in public, even when she wasn’t on stage. Her private life was carefully protected, but never fully private either. She was also known internationally and spent time in Europe enjoying the adulation there. She was a Very Big Deal.
One thing that I really love about history is how nothing is new, and sometimes you run across a book that highlights that fact. Charlotte Cushman was a lesbian, and openly lived with her lovers, and considered herself married. Charlotte and her wife went on tour together, traveled together, braved mobs of fans together, and while it’s not surprising that gay people existed in the early 1800’s, what did surprise me was how open and unapologetic she was about it. When I think of LGBTQ+ people in the early 1800’s, I generally assume they would have had to be pretty quiet about it, and that just wasn’t how it played out for Cushman at all. She was very much a, “this is who I am, take it or leave it” kind of woman.
And this isn’t to say that Cushman’s romantic life was ever easy. There were ups and downs, but she was a very pragmatic, forward-thinking woman who, in a lot of ways, used her status and influence to fight for women’s rights, and equality, and I daresay being so open and unashamed about her sexuality likely did a world of good for others around her who were likewise part of the LGBT+ community.
“Charlotte’s legacy is present, though invisible, in every-one of these performances. She was the first to prove that an American could interpret Shakespeare onstage. She resurrected the original text of Romeo and Juliet, and her interpretations of many of Shakespeare’s characters survive today. She inspired generations of women to wear the breeches, on- and offstage.”
This is also, perhaps, the one part of the book that I wished to see more of. The author never goes much into detail about Cushman’s love life or her relationships, and there’s precious little examination of the broader LGBT+ community during her time. While I can see the reasons for this: Cushman is far more than a lesbian, and she should be examined as such, I really did want more about her relationships, about her place in the world and her struggles in a time where stuff like this just was not done (and if it was, it was kept quiet). That being said, Cushman was very powerful in her time, and influenced and empowered many other women with her unabashed resolution to ditch the dress and wear pants (gasp) and her fight for equality both on and off the stage, and so much more.
And yes, the author does cover some of her worries. For example, Wojczuk does touch on the fact that Cushman worried, especially early in her career, about what would happen if the populous found out she was married to a woman. Furthermore, Americans seemed to be more conservative and prone to making a big deal out of her relationships and her prevalence for wearing pants than those in Europe. However, I think I still wanted more.
It did make this book feel a little off-balance. Wojczuk is best when she’s detailing Cushman’s life on stage, her acting, and her time in front of people, in any respect. However, her personal life, her inner thoughts, and the people around her all seemed to pale a bit in comparison, and that’s really where I would have enjoyed more information. Not just about the LGBT+ and women’s rights, but just life in general. Cushman often felt like a person when she was onstage, but not so much in private, and that’s unfortunate. It resulted in a bit of an unbalanced feel, and some disconcerting time jumps where we skip ahead a few years in her life with not a whole lot of explanation of what happened in those intervening years.
So, what does this leave us with?
Despite the fact that Lady Romeo did feel a little off-balance, and I ultimately wanted more information, this book was impossible to put down. Charlotte Cushman was a powerhouse in her day and age, a woman who was unashamedly exactly who she was. She blazed a trail that many still, unknowingly, follow today. Her influence has resonated through the centuries, and still, somehow, she was forgotten. It is unfortunate that so many powerful, incredible women get lost in the shuffle of time. It is a blessing that Wojczuk is bringing her to life here. Charlotte’s story is one that needs to be told, and her influence should be recognized.
4/5 stars
October 17, 2020
If you're looking for a breezy, popular biography of Cushman, I guess this will serve. For my taste, it plays too fast and loose with what could be known, sketching scenes in a way better suited for historical fiction than history. I ground to a halt early on when Cushman is described as hearing the sounds of Chinese on her arrival in New York City in 1835--an extremely unlikely bit of atmosphere-sketching, since the first attested Chinese resident of New York City wouldn't arrive for twenty years--and never quite rebuilt my trust in the author's research. She is clearly very familiar with Cushman's memoir (as edited by Stebbins) and with Merrill's biography, but I finished this book regretting not having just read those instead.
(I was charmed when I read her single paragraph about early train travel and thought, "Oh, I see someone has read Schivelbusch and is determined to shoehorn his insights in wherever possible," a determination I may also share, because Shivelbusch is Just That Cool. And indeed, per the bibliography at the end, she has.)
(I was charmed when I read her single paragraph about early train travel and thought, "Oh, I see someone has read Schivelbusch and is determined to shoehorn his insights in wherever possible," a determination I may also share, because Shivelbusch is Just That Cool. And indeed, per the bibliography at the end, she has.)
July 7, 2020
Have you ever heard of Charlotte Cushman?⠀
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I hadn’t either and now I’m quite obsessed. Thank god for the Internet 🙌🏻 ⠀
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This biography rocked my world. Not only is the narrative writing style top notch, but the story is almost unbelievable...in the best kind of way. A nuanced nonfiction tale of “America’s first celebrity” who captured the hearts and imaginations of so many, Lady Romeo weaves a web between stage presence, fame, and the intricacies of Cushman’s personal life. If you want to know about what it was like to be a woman, queer, and an actress in the 19th century...this is a perfect introduction. ⠀
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Also featured spectacularly in this stunner, all the unabashed NYC intrigue of the 1800s
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I hadn’t either and now I’m quite obsessed. Thank god for the Internet 🙌🏻 ⠀
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This biography rocked my world. Not only is the narrative writing style top notch, but the story is almost unbelievable...in the best kind of way. A nuanced nonfiction tale of “America’s first celebrity” who captured the hearts and imaginations of so many, Lady Romeo weaves a web between stage presence, fame, and the intricacies of Cushman’s personal life. If you want to know about what it was like to be a woman, queer, and an actress in the 19th century...this is a perfect introduction. ⠀
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Also featured spectacularly in this stunner, all the unabashed NYC intrigue of the 1800s
July 5, 2023
Fascinating woman, really want to see the fountain statue now. Wish I could have seen her perform Shakespeare, it might have made me like it.
August 10, 2020
"Charlotte's legacy is present, though invisible, in every-one of these performances. She was the first to prove that an American could interpret Shakespeare onstage. She resurrected the original text of Romeo and Juliet, and her interpretations of many of Shakespeare's characters survive today. She inspired generations of women to wear the breeches, on- and offstage."
I'm a sucker for these epic women, erased by history and time biographies. So when I heard of this one about Charlotte Cushman my interest peaked and the fact she was considered one of the finest Shakespearian actresses of the 1800s AND she was queer, well consider my boxes well and truly ticked!
The way this book is written is super smooth and you feel as if you are having a casual conversation with Tana Wojczuk over coffee. Charlotte was born into wealth but her family quickly fell on hard times and Charlotte started work at an early age. It doesn't take long for Charlotte to become the sole breadwinner of her family taking care of her mother and siblings.
The book documents Charlottes professional life working in theatre and her rise to stardom. Playing the roles of Lady Macbeth, Romeo and Katherine. I really enjoyed reading the chapter about when she was staring as Nancy in Charles Dickens' Oliver, the little touches she added to her role seem to be similar to what actresses in stage adaptations add in recent years. I was expecting the book to go into more details about Charlottes sexuality, how she felt and her thoughts and feelings, yes her partners and relationships are a huge part of this book but it doesn't go into very much detail. She seemed to be confident in her sexuality, unafraid to be herself and love who she loved without shame, this was beautiful to read but it doesn't go into much detail of if she faced any difficult due to her sexuality or not (other than a small section of rumours at a theatre and some "forged" love notes) so it's left up to interpretation. I would have loved more detail about her relationship with her partner Emma Stebbins as they were considered married for nearly two decades, but whether that's because of the time and the nature of the relationship it may be that the documents may no longer exist etc.
I felt that this book had chunks missing and was getting little bits of information for certain sections of her life. The time jumps are quite jarring as you suddenly just 5-10 years of her life.
What I found fascinating was how many influential people she came in contact with across her life. Louisa May Alcott came to see her perform. Abram Lincoln as came to see her and she was an acquaintance of John Wilkes Booth (who she greatly disliked).
I really enjoyed this book so much.
I'm a sucker for these epic women, erased by history and time biographies. So when I heard of this one about Charlotte Cushman my interest peaked and the fact she was considered one of the finest Shakespearian actresses of the 1800s AND she was queer, well consider my boxes well and truly ticked!
The way this book is written is super smooth and you feel as if you are having a casual conversation with Tana Wojczuk over coffee. Charlotte was born into wealth but her family quickly fell on hard times and Charlotte started work at an early age. It doesn't take long for Charlotte to become the sole breadwinner of her family taking care of her mother and siblings.
The book documents Charlottes professional life working in theatre and her rise to stardom. Playing the roles of Lady Macbeth, Romeo and Katherine. I really enjoyed reading the chapter about when she was staring as Nancy in Charles Dickens' Oliver, the little touches she added to her role seem to be similar to what actresses in stage adaptations add in recent years. I was expecting the book to go into more details about Charlottes sexuality, how she felt and her thoughts and feelings, yes her partners and relationships are a huge part of this book but it doesn't go into very much detail. She seemed to be confident in her sexuality, unafraid to be herself and love who she loved without shame, this was beautiful to read but it doesn't go into much detail of if she faced any difficult due to her sexuality or not (other than a small section of rumours at a theatre and some "forged" love notes) so it's left up to interpretation. I would have loved more detail about her relationship with her partner Emma Stebbins as they were considered married for nearly two decades, but whether that's because of the time and the nature of the relationship it may be that the documents may no longer exist etc.
I felt that this book had chunks missing and was getting little bits of information for certain sections of her life. The time jumps are quite jarring as you suddenly just 5-10 years of her life.
What I found fascinating was how many influential people she came in contact with across her life. Louisa May Alcott came to see her perform. Abram Lincoln as came to see her and she was an acquaintance of John Wilkes Booth (who she greatly disliked).
I really enjoyed this book so much.
July 6, 2020
As an English major and an English teacher, I was familiar with some of the famous actors who brought Shakespeare to life in Tana Wojczuk's Lady Romeo - but the titular figure had never appeared in my studies. Wojczuk is a talented writer. In short, punchy chapters, she reminds us that much that we're still fighting so hard for (the rights of women, lgbtq+ rights) has a rich history with figures who weren't afraid to speak up. In this story of America's first celebrity, reader's learn how the actress shaped herself and how she used work as a coping mechanism for grief and how she dedicated herself to work in hopes of keeping her family together. If you have any interest in the stage, in Shakespeare, in early America, or in the transformations we're all constantly undergoing (life really is a stage!), pick this one up for a work that is both historical and fun. Here's a preview of Charlotte working her magic: "For Charlotte, a character was not only learned but grasped at once in a flash of intuition. Then she would distill the character through repetition. Charlotte’s Meg was so popular the show was extended. When her stockings wore out, Charlotte mended them rather than buy new ones, to keep up the appearance of age and poverty. When her costume needed to be replaced, she dyed the new one by hand, rubbing it with dirt and other mixtures she invented herself to age it. She continued to do her makeup and hair as she had done that first night: a river of lines and age spots."
May 3, 2020
I don’t recall learning about Charlotte Cushman in school, and as someone who was active in the performing arts, I’m surprised I didn’t even recognize her name! Being a celebrity in the 1800s meant something very different than it does in today’s world. Her hard work, talent, and ambition got her recognition in both America and Europe, and yet her influence has been lost today. This biography reads more like a novel with all the facts and historical information brilliantly woven into Charlotte’s story. I was quickly rapt up with Charlotte Cushman, her ambition, and forward-thinking lifestyle. I would recommend to anyone interested in performing arts, the theater, women’s rights, or just a good read in general.
January 12, 2024
"Into a face that every man called ugly...she gathered a divine sweetness and strength that every woman called beauty"
me on pg 1: i've never once in my life heard of this woman
me at the end: i am now a stan and would die for Charlotte Cushman
Highly recommend to anyone interested in American history, women's history, LGBTQ+ history, theatre, and/or just interesting stories about fascinating people.
me on pg 1: i've never once in my life heard of this woman
me at the end: i am now a stan and would die for Charlotte Cushman
Highly recommend to anyone interested in American history, women's history, LGBTQ+ history, theatre, and/or just interesting stories about fascinating people.
November 15, 2020
Wonderful. I could very nearly hear the author's voice, excitedly telling me these stories from Cushman's life that she dug up through her impeccable research and wove into a story so interesting that you wonder why no one had told it before.
July 5, 2020
The story of a little known, but pioneering actress, Lady Romeo introduces the reader to Charlotte Cushman- perhaps the greatest actress of her age and a woman who proved to the world that America was ready to embrace culture, theater, and especially Shakespeare. Her triumphs and setbacks built Charlotte into a strong and determined woman- determined to provide for her family, determined to prove her own talent, and determined to prove America's cultural place in the world. She befriended politicians and authors, actors and sculptors, and helped support other women in their professions. Described here by Tana Wojczuk as America's first celebrity, Charlotte Cushman also had to learn to balance her public and private lives. Especially when she was young, Charlotte worried about the effect on her American career if it was discovered that she had "married" another woman. But in Europe as a leading actress her relationships with women and tendency to wear men's clothes were less remarked on.
I loved learning about the enterprising, determined, and pioneering Charlotte Cushman. Wojczuk is at her best when writing about Charlotte's time on stage, bringing to life Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth or Romeo. At these times Charlotte herself comes to life, much as she breathed life into her characters. Wojczuk describes how Cushman left an entire generation of women (including Louisa May Alcott) star-struck; redefined Romeo and reintroduced the original Shakespearean text of Romeo and Juliet to English audiences; and broke restricting 19th-century gender roles on both sides of the ocean.
I would have enjoyed a deeper exploration of Cushman's inner life- her emotions and thoughts, her family, and her romantic relationships- instead of the often flat or surface look we get here. Lady Romeo is often so fast-paced that it feels like we've skipped years of Cushman's life and development. At other times repetition or time-period hopping take away some of the emotional impact of scenes like Cushman's final performance- beautifully written and detailed but put in the beginning of the book, before we get to know Cushman, and then ignored completely at the end when it might have had an even larger emotional impact. The people around Charlotte had no life to them, we get no real idea why Charlotte loved someone, what attracted her to a person (platonically or romantically). Whether this is because there wasn't anything in the resources used to flesh out the people, or often Charlotte herself, is impossible to say. But Lady Romeo definitely left me wanting to know more about Charlotte and her world- how she fit into it and how she changed it to fit her.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I loved learning about the enterprising, determined, and pioneering Charlotte Cushman. Wojczuk is at her best when writing about Charlotte's time on stage, bringing to life Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth or Romeo. At these times Charlotte herself comes to life, much as she breathed life into her characters. Wojczuk describes how Cushman left an entire generation of women (including Louisa May Alcott) star-struck; redefined Romeo and reintroduced the original Shakespearean text of Romeo and Juliet to English audiences; and broke restricting 19th-century gender roles on both sides of the ocean.
I would have enjoyed a deeper exploration of Cushman's inner life- her emotions and thoughts, her family, and her romantic relationships- instead of the often flat or surface look we get here. Lady Romeo is often so fast-paced that it feels like we've skipped years of Cushman's life and development. At other times repetition or time-period hopping take away some of the emotional impact of scenes like Cushman's final performance- beautifully written and detailed but put in the beginning of the book, before we get to know Cushman, and then ignored completely at the end when it might have had an even larger emotional impact. The people around Charlotte had no life to them, we get no real idea why Charlotte loved someone, what attracted her to a person (platonically or romantically). Whether this is because there wasn't anything in the resources used to flesh out the people, or often Charlotte herself, is impossible to say. But Lady Romeo definitely left me wanting to know more about Charlotte and her world- how she fit into it and how she changed it to fit her.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
November 17, 2021
Quick, under 2 hour read. I'm on the fence. Much of the book is filled with narrative to fill its pages to be book-length, when this could function more effectively as a wikipedia-length article. Things are made up to make it easier for pop culture readers to sink into the history but it annoyingly stands out (for me, it was a line about how she took a steamer up the Mississippi to Philadelphia...has the author ever looked at a map?) I also found many typos which made me suspicious of the lack of careful editing.
There are gaps that are not addressed - the death of her father is reported as a "disappearance" in the book but a death in other resources I've read. Rosalie Sully is reported to have sunk into depression & death upon hearing of Cushman's new romantic affairs in many resources, while this author says Sully's father heard gossip of their marriage and broke it off, with no attributing information in the sources. I've no doubt this author did her research, that is clear by reading through the sources, but there are some major discrepancies between this and other Cushman biographies that would have been nice to address, if they are true. These gaps arise again and again in this book, to frustration.
Marketing this as "America first celebrity" seems a huge miss for the current era of revealing LGBT historical figures. I'm more interested in Merrill's 2000 book on her queer relationships but that will be harder to access as an academically published book and one that is missing the past 20 years of LGBT progressive perspective. Analysis of Cushman's relation to gender and the trans community is desperately needed. A female actor well known for focusing only on male roles? Who was ground breaking in swapping genders? How'd this play out in her personal life? This is not addressed in the book past a couple lines relating Cushman to Romeo in her romantic endeavors (and not Juliet.)
All in all, a basic "pop" biography that is a good introduction if you've not heard of Cushman or do not like dry non fiction. But it is lacking a lot of details and analysis that I would expect from our current era.
There are gaps that are not addressed - the death of her father is reported as a "disappearance" in the book but a death in other resources I've read. Rosalie Sully is reported to have sunk into depression & death upon hearing of Cushman's new romantic affairs in many resources, while this author says Sully's father heard gossip of their marriage and broke it off, with no attributing information in the sources. I've no doubt this author did her research, that is clear by reading through the sources, but there are some major discrepancies between this and other Cushman biographies that would have been nice to address, if they are true. These gaps arise again and again in this book, to frustration.
Marketing this as "America first celebrity" seems a huge miss for the current era of revealing LGBT historical figures. I'm more interested in Merrill's 2000 book on her queer relationships but that will be harder to access as an academically published book and one that is missing the past 20 years of LGBT progressive perspective. Analysis of Cushman's relation to gender and the trans community is desperately needed. A female actor well known for focusing only on male roles? Who was ground breaking in swapping genders? How'd this play out in her personal life? This is not addressed in the book past a couple lines relating Cushman to Romeo in her romantic endeavors (and not Juliet.)
All in all, a basic "pop" biography that is a good introduction if you've not heard of Cushman or do not like dry non fiction. But it is lacking a lot of details and analysis that I would expect from our current era.
January 14, 2021
I was excited to read this book. I am a huge fan of learning about people who broke the norm in their time and lived their full lives as themselves out in the open. And this did not disappoint. This biography was well written and drew me in from the beginning. I was very engaged by Charlotte's story. Like her contemporary Anne Lister, Charlotte lived an out and proud life as a lesbian woman and still managed to climb the ladder of celebrity to be recognized around the world. I would love to see Charlotte's story come to life in a TV Series, it is ripe for the picking! A wonderful read for anyone who is a fan of historical biography.
July 27, 2020
This was such an interesting short read. I am came to it interested as celebrity culture is so entrenched in American life and even the way we view history (as stories of individual triumphs), but got so much more.
It it American History, Theater History, Women's History, 1800s Literature Movements, Shakespeare in Politics History and LGBT History all wrapped up in one very short read. In some ways it is also a look at class and arts intersection at this time. Just right before movies and radio.
Liked it so much I might pick it up to add to my personal library.
It it American History, Theater History, Women's History, 1800s Literature Movements, Shakespeare in Politics History and LGBT History all wrapped up in one very short read. In some ways it is also a look at class and arts intersection at this time. Just right before movies and radio.
Liked it so much I might pick it up to add to my personal library.
July 22, 2020
Cushman was truly a unique woman, not only for her time but in general. Wojczuk tells her story in an interesting manner with an intriguing yet not overwritten level of detail. Cushman's drive, her acting career, her (some platonic, some not) romances with women and resulting travails and joys, and the settings of her times and the various places she lived and traveled are enjoyably related. This biography isn't going to set the world on fire but it's a pleasant read and a revelation of someone I hadn't even heard before who was a major performer in her era.
August 18, 2020
This is the interesting biography of a famous American celebrity you've never heard of. Charlotte Cushman was an actress in the 19th century who lived on her own terms and crossed paths with the likes of Whitman, Hawthorne, Emerson, and Lincoln. She lived life on her own terms-lesbian, supported her family, and was famous for playing Lady Macbeth, Hamlet, and Romeo.
Read
September 6, 2020A solid, well-researched biography of a woman whose fame was prodigious in her time but who's largely forgotten now. I'm assuming the reason we don't all know her name along with other famous Shakespearean actors like Macready and Forrest is because of sexism.
An extraordinary life, grateful to this author for dusting off Charlotte Cushman's legacy and shining the spotlight on this extraordinary woman's career once more.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An extraordinary life, grateful to this author for dusting off Charlotte Cushman's legacy and shining the spotlight on this extraordinary woman's career once more.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2020
What a great biography. It was also a privilege to meet the author and share tales about my distant cousin Charlotte Cushman.
June 10, 2025
We love a messy Victorian lesbian
November 11, 2021
This was very engaging and a great look at someone who I’ve never heard of but definitely should have. Cush man led a full life with many ups and downs and played an influential role in establishing American art and culture both through her own work and facilitating the work of others. And she did it all while refusing to comply with societal standards.
July 8, 2020
The story of Charlotte Cushman’s life was an amazing read. She tread the boards of some of the most famous playhouses of her time, not to mention having rubbed shoulders with the famous actors.actresses, artists, writers and the like. But what struck me the most was how far ahead of her time she was. She was queer and unapologetic about it, she was involved in a number of romantic relationships (and before this book I’d never heard of female marriage before), she was involved in political causes and was a chameleon on the stage playing male and female roles and bringing a new take to many of the parts she played. Thank you to Tana Wojczuk for brining the story of Charlotte Cushman to our attention
November 6, 2022
I had read about Charlotte Cushman in "Shakespeare in a Divided America" and was eager to learn more about her. Sadly, this biography was a poorly written disappointment. Thickly padded with miscellaneous information, the book never succeeds in bringing Charlotte Cushman to life.
July 20, 2020
Good, just... doesn’t really delve into anything? It felt very surface skimming the entire time, floating along, and then bam. She dies. I actually had to flip back a couple of pages to see if I had missed anything. Very interesting and so many names dropped but also felt like it was just, meandering? I didn’t even know how far we had gotten in Cushman’s life until she died, and then was told she was in her 50s. It was good, but not great.
September 20, 2020
Interesting, but very slight. More of a play by play (a pun, you see) than a full biography.
July 6, 2024
I heard about this book on the podcast “This is Love”, in an episode where the author was interviewed. This was the first time I’d ever heard of Charlotte Cushman, “America’s first celebrity.” After the interview, I sought out the book.
Cushman rose to their* celebrity in the early 19th century, ahead of, through, and after the American Civil War. Their rags-to-riches tale is remarkable, as is their society-defying lifestyle. In addition to being a powerful actor in female roles, Cushman also gave legendary portrayals of male characters, especially as Romeo. They were a champion of Shakespeare and other classical playwrights at a time in American history when many were trying to reject the old-world influence of such literature. Cushman’s celebrity is evident in their fame and favour with Americans, but is also somewhat typical of such celebrity, fading quickly after their death.
I wanted to read this ahead of giving the book to someone (an aspiring actress themselves), and I’m glad that I did, as this telling of Cushman’s remarkable life is uneven and uninspiring. Despite being touted as the “full story (brought) to brilliant life”, there are several gaps and errors throughout that become distracting, and the style of writing ranges from overly journalistic and flat to melodramatic and maudlin. For such a compelling historical figure, there is a lack of excitement in the telling that makes it almost boring to read. Which is a shame, as Cushman is clearly a character worthy of a good story well told.
I do want to share this story with my friend, and have been unable to find an alternative, so I'll likely stick with this one whose only advantages seems to be that it is well-sourced and a quick read.
Cushman rose to their* celebrity in the early 19th century, ahead of, through, and after the American Civil War. Their rags-to-riches tale is remarkable, as is their society-defying lifestyle. In addition to being a powerful actor in female roles, Cushman also gave legendary portrayals of male characters, especially as Romeo. They were a champion of Shakespeare and other classical playwrights at a time in American history when many were trying to reject the old-world influence of such literature. Cushman’s celebrity is evident in their fame and favour with Americans, but is also somewhat typical of such celebrity, fading quickly after their death.
I wanted to read this ahead of giving the book to someone (an aspiring actress themselves), and I’m glad that I did, as this telling of Cushman’s remarkable life is uneven and uninspiring. Despite being touted as the “full story (brought) to brilliant life”, there are several gaps and errors throughout that become distracting, and the style of writing ranges from overly journalistic and flat to melodramatic and maudlin. For such a compelling historical figure, there is a lack of excitement in the telling that makes it almost boring to read. Which is a shame, as Cushman is clearly a character worthy of a good story well told.
I do want to share this story with my friend, and have been unable to find an alternative, so I'll likely stick with this one whose only advantages seems to be that it is well-sourced and a quick read.
February 13, 2021
This was a very informative yet brief biography of the actress, Charlotte Cushman. I knew very little about her except for the daguerreotypes of Southworth & Hawes, that she was a famous actress, and that she was a lesbian.
Frustratingly, years of her life were often summed up in a sentence or two leaving me wondering what transpired during those intervals that the author tantalizingly mentions in passing -- especially the story behind Cushman's affair with Rosalie Sully, daughter of the painter, Thomas Sully. Rosalie later died young after being forced to cut off her relationship with Charlotte. Horribly sad story. But where are the details of this story? There were too many instances like this to mention, but there were enough. Supposedly, she met frequently with Lincoln also -- well goddammit, can we have more of their encounters?
Charlotte Cushman was a fascinatingly driven person who had a major impact on American theatre and culture. This book is only 176 pages, but the subject deserves a more in depth-biography accompanied by color photos of her costumes and, in general, more. I relied heavily on online searches to help flesh out the details of her life. Puzzling that the author didn't include these images or more research, especially when she cites them in her Notes on Sources. Budget?
The book is a good overview of Charlotte Cushman's life (even with the typo of Fort Sumpter instead of Sumter) and saying she was in her sixties when she was ill and then in the last chapter saying Charlotte was 59 when she died. The writing struck me as a little hurried, hence at times annoying.
Frustratingly, years of her life were often summed up in a sentence or two leaving me wondering what transpired during those intervals that the author tantalizingly mentions in passing -- especially the story behind Cushman's affair with Rosalie Sully, daughter of the painter, Thomas Sully. Rosalie later died young after being forced to cut off her relationship with Charlotte. Horribly sad story. But where are the details of this story? There were too many instances like this to mention, but there were enough. Supposedly, she met frequently with Lincoln also -- well goddammit, can we have more of their encounters?
Charlotte Cushman was a fascinatingly driven person who had a major impact on American theatre and culture. This book is only 176 pages, but the subject deserves a more in depth-biography accompanied by color photos of her costumes and, in general, more. I relied heavily on online searches to help flesh out the details of her life. Puzzling that the author didn't include these images or more research, especially when she cites them in her Notes on Sources. Budget?
The book is a good overview of Charlotte Cushman's life (even with the typo of Fort Sumpter instead of Sumter) and saying she was in her sixties when she was ill and then in the last chapter saying Charlotte was 59 when she died. The writing struck me as a little hurried, hence at times annoying.
January 26, 2021
I would have never learned about this remarkable woman had it not been for the covid restrictions at my local library. When I arrived and called to get my reserved book they asked if I wanted a book bundle they prepared and if so what genre. I accepted and opted for non-fiction history. This was my first read from the bundle.
I found Lady Romeo to not only be an interesting biography but it gave an excellent sense of the social history for women during her lifetime and pieced together the interrelationships the of known intellectuals, artists, and writers.
The rose glasses are removed as the reader travels with her from her childhood to her deathbed, her navigation from poverty to success, her relations with actors, poets, artists, her lovers, and even President Lincoln.
I found Lady Romeo to not only be an interesting biography but it gave an excellent sense of the social history for women during her lifetime and pieced together the interrelationships the of known intellectuals, artists, and writers.
The rose glasses are removed as the reader travels with her from her childhood to her deathbed, her navigation from poverty to success, her relations with actors, poets, artists, her lovers, and even President Lincoln.
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