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Charlotte Cushman 1816 ~ 1876
Charlotte Cushman
It may be said of Charlotte Cushman that
she was one of those strenuous, noble souls who would have
dignified and vitalized, as with the vitality of a man, any
calling into which it might have pleased Fate to place her, and
that she would have left the world better for her presence. For
this mental pertinacity, as we might call it, we can credit the
sturdy Puritan stock from which she was descended. The best
blood of New England, the blood which has made both martyrs and
honest, hopeless bigots ran through her veins. Her father was a
respected merchant of Boston, and it was in that city that
Charlotte Saunders Cushman was born, July 23, 1816.
Her strongest characteristics were her imitative power and her
wonderful voice. It was this voice that was soon to aid her in
the struggle for existence. Her father was unfortunate in
business, and Charlotte began the study of music, and
subsequently sang in a Boston church choir, and she was urged to
continue the cultivation of her voice and not to waste time in
the mere drudgery of teaching. And thus it came about that Miss
Cushman became the pupil of James G. Maeder (afterwards the
husband of Clara Fisher), and made her appearance under his
instruction in April, 1835, as the Countess Almaviva, in the
"Marriage of Figaro," the performance taking place at the
Tremont Theatre, and was considered a triumph for Miss Cushman.
Visions of future operatic achievements filled her mind, when
suddenly her voice failed, from overtraining, and through this
apparent misfortune Miss Cushman was led to the stage, and
through Caldwell, the theatrical manager, of New Orleans, she
was given a part to appear on the stage. Her first appearance
was as Lady Macbeth, in a benefit performance in that city. Of
herself at that time Miss Cushman says: "I was a tall, thin,
lanky girl, about five feet, six inches in height." Her
rendition of the part was satisfactory, both to the audience and
manager. For three years, from September, 1837, to September,
1840, she was at the Park Theatre, New York, playing various
parts. This, no doubt, was a fine experience for her just at
this time, and she came out of this ordeal a true actress, who
was not afraid to play Romeo, Portia, Lady Macbeth, Joan of Arc,
Belvidera, in "Venice Preserved," Roxana, in "The Rival Queens,"
and many other characters.
Her greatest achievement has always been believed to be Meg
Merrilies. It was said of her first appearance in this part,
"There was an uncanny charm, a wealth of picturesqueness and, at
the same time, a depth of senile feeling in her portraiture that
stamped it at once with the mark of inspiration." No one who
ever saw Meg Merrilies will ever forget its terrible
effectiveness. After leaving Park Theatre, she played male
characters for some time. It was her professional association
with Macready during the seasons of 1843 and 1844 that provided
the stepping-stone for which Miss Cushman had been groping.
After he witnessed her performance of Lady Macbeth he showed a
sympathy for this aspiring woman which was of inestimable value
to her.
Owing to the encouragement given her by Macready Miss Cushman
determined to go to England, and although at the time it seemed
rash the end justified the risk. One writer says of her debut in
England: "Since the memorable first appearance of Edmund Kean,
in 1814, never has there been such a debut on the boards of an
English theatre."' Miss Cushman returned to America in 1870, and
on November 7, 1874, took her farewell of the New York stage in
Lady Macbeth, at Booth's Theatre.
Her last appearance of all as an actress, although not as a
reader, was made in Boston, May 15, 1875, as Lady Macbeth. In
the autumn of this year she made her residence in Boston, where
she passed away on February 18, 1876.
Women of
America
Source: The Part Taken by Women in
American History, By Mrs. John A. Logan, Published by The Perry-Nalle
Publishing Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1912.
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