Charlotte Cushman, born in 1816 in Boston, Massachusetts, was a famous actress in the 19th century. Hoping to earn money as a musician, she debuted as an opera singer in Marriage of Figaro at just 19 years old. She then went on tour in New Orleans and received very negative reviews. It was suggested that she pursue a career in acting rather voice, and she did just that. After turning to leading actor James Barton for training, Cushman made her acting debut as Lady Macbeth in 1836. Her acting reviews proved to be much better than those of her vocal performances, and she went on to star in a number a plays including Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in which she played the lead male, Romeo, opposite her sister who played Juliet. It was actually quite common for women of this time to play male roles, and these women were given the name “breeches actresses”. Being one of the first famous, openly lesbian actresses, Cushman was also a strong feminist. She “insisted upon her economic independence, demanding fees commensurate with her male counterparts”. Sadly, in 1869, Cushman was diagnosed with breast cancer. She gave her last performance as Lady Macbeth in 1874, and died from the disease two years later.
http://www.comm.unt.edu/histofperf/tiffanyvandewall/Charlotte.html
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