Mary Shaw
Mary Shaw (1854–1929) was a significant figure in the American theatrical scene and a dedicated advocate for women's rights. Born into a well-off family in Boston, Shaw initially pursued a career in education before transitioning to acting in the 1880s. Her performances included controversial roles in the works of renowned playwrights such as Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw, notably in the latter's play *Mrs. Warren's Profession*, which was shut down shortly after its Boston premiere due to its provocative content.
Shaw was not only an actress but also a prominent suffragist, utilizing her platform to promote women's rights during a time when such issues were gaining public attention. She wrote two feminist plays, including *The Parrot Cage*, which humorously critiqued anti-suffragist arguments through allegorical characters. In addition to her theatrical contributions, Shaw represented American women at the International Women's Congress in London in 1899, further amplifying her voice for equality. Her legacy is marked by her dual impact as a performer and as a speaker, making her an important figure in the history of both American theater and the women's suffrage movement.
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Mary Shaw
- Born: January 25, 1854
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: 1929
Biography
Remembered mostly as an actress and a suffragette, Mary Shaw put her message for women’s rights before the public with two plays that addressed the question of equality for women nearly a decade before women were able to vote in the United States. Shaw played highly controversial roles in plays written by strident European social reformers, notably Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw.
Although acting was largely a profession for women of the lower socioeconomic classes who had few salable skills, Shaw did not fit into that category. She came from a well-placed family in Boston, where she was born in 1854. Her father, Levi W. Shaw, worked for Boston’s fire department and later for the department concerned with public buildings. His wife, Margaret Keating Shaw, an Irish immigrant, raised her family well. Both parents encouraged Shaw’s educational pursuits. She attended Girls’ Highland Normal School, a teacher preparatory institution in Boston. Upon graduation in 1871, she taught at a public school in Boston’s west end.
Shaw began to rankle at the confinement she experienced in teaching. Constant talking had strained her voice badly during her teaching career, and to repair the damage she took elocution lessons, seeking ways to communicate while simultaneously sparing her vocal chords. This training might have drawn her into acting. In 1880, Shaw joined the Boston Museum Stock Company, launching the career that would occupy her indefinitely. The stock company’s limited membership assured that each actor was called upon to play several roles, providing Shaw with a uniquely varied experience.
In 1879, she married Henry Leach and they had one son. Leach died when the son was an infant and Shaw became her family’s chief breadwinner. In 1885, she married the Duc de Brissac, a French actor and theater manager with whom she worked in Helena Modjeska’s company, but that marriage ended shortly. When this happened, Shaw felt a rush of freedom that exhilarated her.
Shaw took roles in some of Ibsen’s revolutionary social dramas and played the lead in George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, a play that presents a sympathetic portrayal of a prostitute. Police closed the playthe day after it opened in Boston, arresting those who participated in it. Shaw often traveled across the country with her troupe. During these travels, she frequently spoke about women’s rights to enthusiastic gatherings of feminists. In 1899, she was among the American delegates to the International Women’s Congress in London.
Shaw wrote two feminist plays, The Woman of It: Or, Our Friends the Anti-Suffragists and The Parrot Cage. The latter, an allegorical fable, was the more popular and made a lasting impression. Each of six actors dressed as parrots has a symbolic name, like Free-Souled, Philistine, or Rationalist, and each character presents conventional arguments regarding suffrage. Shaw’s greatest impact was as an actress and speaker, but her plays are interesting period pieces.