Cushman, Charlotte Saunders

23/07/1816

18/02/1876

American actress characterised as playing strong independent, intellectual roles which were often male. She first appeared on stage in 1835 at the Boston Treamont Theatre. A few years later she received rave reviews for her performance as Lady Macbeth at the Albany Theatre, New York. Her most famous male role was that of Romeo, to which she played along side her younger sister Susan Webb Cushman's Juliet at the Haymarket Theatre in London in 1845. Charlotte, who had encouraged Susan to take to the stage at the age of 14, claimed that she played male roles to support her sister's career, however, here preference for breeches was demosntrated long before her sister appeared on stage. Charlotte was romatically connected to several notable ladies of the time. In 1869, Charlotte underwent extensive treatment for breast cancer. She died in 1876 aged 59 of pneumonia, and is buried in Cambridge, Massachusettes. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/147358/Charlotte-Saunders-Cushman