Years active
1870-1908
Stage Name(s)
Ella Wesner
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
1841 – 1917
Bio
Ella Wesner was from a family of ballet dancers and began her career in children’s ballet corps in Philadelphia (1). Before she was thirty, and prior to her career as a male impersonator, she was […]
Years active
1864-1904
Stage Name(s)
Annie Hindle
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1847- ca. 1904
Bio
Annie Hindle was the first male impersonator to appear on variety stages in the US. She came to the US in 1868 arriving from England where she had gained performance experience at the English […]
Years active
1862-1901
Stage Name(s)
Bessie Bonehill
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1855 – 1902
Bio
Bessie Bonehill claimed to be the first male impersonator in the English music halls and ‘is one of the first male impersonators who ventured into America variety’ (1). In 1889 she was invited by […]
Years active
1835 – 1875
Stage Name(s)
Charlotte Cushman
Category
Breeches Roles; Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
1816 – 1876
Bio
In 1835, Charlotte Cushman made her stage debut in opera at the age of 18. She is considered one of America’s first greatest actresses with a career spanning 40 years. She […]
Years active
1825 – 1859
Stage Name(s)
Mary Anne Keeley
Category
Breeches role, Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1805 – 1899
Bio
Mary Anne Keeley, well respected British actress, was best known for her portrayal of Jack Sheppard, London’s notorious short-lived thief and jail breaker who died in 1724 at the […]
Years active
1815 – 1854
Stage Name(s)
Madame Vestris
Category
Breeches role, En travesti
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1797 – 1856
Bio
In 1815, Madame Vestris began her stage career in the Italian opera II ratto di Proserpina by Peter Winter at the King’s Theatre. In 1820, she played her first breeches […]
Years active
1685-1723
Stage Name(s)
Susanna Centlivre
Category
Breeches Roles
Country of Origin
United Kingdom, England
Day Birth – Day Death
c. 1669 – 1723
Bio
Susanna Centlivre was an actress, poet, and playwright. She was widely considered one of the most influential female playwrights of the eighteenth century. Several of her plays remained popular well […]
Years active
1681-1703
Stage Name(s)
Susanna Percival, Susanna Mountfort, Susanna Verbruggen
Category
Breeches Roles
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1667–1703
Bio
Susanna Verbruggen was a successful and popular actress especially known for playing breeches roles during the English Restoration. Her acclaim was playing a stock character, the Restoration rake, which was a womanising […]
Years active
1679 – 1709
Stage Name(s)
Anne Bracegirdle
Category
Breeches Roles
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1673 – 1748
Bio
In 1679, Anne Bracegirdle began her acting career at the age of six playing the role of page boy in Mustapha, and in 1680, she again played the role of the page […]
Years active
1279-1368 A.D. Yuan Dynasty
Stage Name(s)
Lao Sheng (old man), Xiao Sheng (young man), Wu Sheng (warrior)
Category
Male Impersonators
Country of Origin
China
Birth – Death
N/A
Bio
The Yuan Dynasty (1279–1369 A. D.) was a prolific era for female performers in the Chinese Opera. Fortunately for us, fourteenth century theatre enthusiast, Xia […]