Actresses as Working Women: Their Social Identity in Victorian England

by Tracy C. Davis

In Victorian society performers were drawn from varying class backgrounds and enjoyed a unique degree of social mobility. Nevertheless, the living and working conditions of female performers were very different from that of their male colleagues. Their segregation and concentration in low-status jobs, like dancing, guaranteed economic insecurity. Their attempts to reconcile sexuality and the female life cycle to a physically demanding itinerant occupation under constant public scrutiny led to assumptions about actresses' morality; assumptions that were constantly reinforced by theatrical conventions which reflected popular pornographic images, and were extremely difficult to overcome.
Using hard historical evidence as well as personal accounts, and firmly grounded in Marxist and feminist theory, Tracy C. Davis examines the reality of conditions for "ordinary" actresses, the representations of women on stage, and the reasons why acting continued to be such a popular, if insecure profession. This is an important book that brings fresh perspectives to bear on 19th-century theatre. It will also interest a wide range of specialists, including historians and feminist critics.

Genres: Theatre, Nonfiction

228 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 1991

Reviews

[Bridget Sundin Nowicki]

Tracy C. Davis asks, "Why were actresses so equivocal in Victorian society?" and then proceeds to use feminist and Marxist theories to give both "hard" and "soft" answers to that question. In an era where to have theatrical ambition was seen as "unfeminine," "anti-family," and "anti-male," women were able to earn a living and enjoy autonomy - even if it meant being equated with prostitutes. This book is top notch. Content aside, it could be a writing manual on how to do historiography in a clear and tight way. 10/10 would recommend.