Years active
ca. 1914 – ca. 1940
Stage Name(s)
Bert Whitman
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
ca. 1888 – 1964
Bio
Said to be “the best male impersonator of the race” and the “ebony Fred Astaire”, Bert Whitman was considered one of the best male impersonators of her day. Born around […]
Years active
1913 – 1930
Stage Name(s)
Pip Wainfor, Phil Wainfor
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Birth – Death
1899 – 1964
Bio
From 1913 to 1930, Violet Wainfor used the stage name Pip or Phil Wainfor to perform as a male impersonator in small halls and pubs in the United Kingdom and […]
Years active
1909 – 1914
Stage Name(s)
Aida Overton Walker
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
1880 – 1914
Bio
Aida Overton Walker was an immensely successful African-American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, and male impersonator on the vaudeville circuit performing for black and white audiences which was rare for the time. In 1909, out of necessity, Aida became a male […]
Years active
1900 – 1918
Stage Name(s)
Maude Adams
Category
Male Impersonator, Breeches Role
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
1872 – 1953
Bio
Maude Adams was a celebrated American actress who was the first person to play Peter Pan on the Broadway stage in 1905. She played several male impersonator roles over her career […]
Years active
1890 – 1906
Stage Name(s)
Florence Hines
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
unknown – 1924
Bio
Despite the dearth of personal biographical details, there is enough ample evidence to show that African American Florence Hines had a flourishing career as a male impersonator on the vaudeville stage beginning circa 1890 with Sam T. Jack’s production, The Creole […]
Years active
1889 – 1910
Stage Name(s)
Gowongo Mohawk, Go-Won-Go
Category
Male Impersonator
Country of Origin
USA
Birth – Death
1860 – 1924
Bio
Gowongo Mohawk (August 11, 1860 – February 7, 1924) was one of the first American Indian actors to perform on the American stage and the first known American Indian male impersonator. She wrote, […]
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 – 1975
Stage Name(s)
Eugenie Fiocre
Category
En Travasti
Country of Origin
France
Birth – Death
1845 – 1908
Bio
Eugenie Fiocre was a principal ballet dancer in the Paris Opera. She was known for her beauty, grace and talent. She often took on male roles called en travesti due to the shortage […]
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
1791-1795
Stage Name // Legal/Birth Name
Euphrosyne Löf
Category
Breeches Roles
Country of Origin
Sweden
Day Birth – Day Death
1772-1828
Bio
In 1791, Euphrosyne Löf made her successful stage debut at The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Sweden. Euphrosyne was among one of the first well-known Swedish actresses to play a breeches role. […]
Years active
1790 – 1800
Stage Name(s)
Lisette Stenberg
Category
Breeches Role
Country of Origin
Sweden
Birth – Death
1770 – 1847
Bio
Lisette Stenberg was a Swedish opera singer, stage actress and pianist. In 1790, she took on a breeches role as Marquis Razilli in Bertin d’Antilly’s play L’Anglais à Paris to great acclaim. Lisette […]
Years active
1787 – 1810
Stage Name(s)
Inga Aberg
Category
Breeches Role
Country of Origin
Sweden
Birth – Death
1773 – 1837
Bio
Inga Aberg was a Swedish actress in The Royal Dramatic Theatre and an opera singer in The Royal Swedish Opera between 1787 to 1810. On May 31, 1787 at the age of fourteen, […]
Years active
1785 – 1811
Stage Name(s)
Elisabet Forsselius, Elisabet Haeffner, Elisabet Fahlgren
Category
Breeches Roles
Country of Origin
Sweden
Birth – Death
1771 – 1850
Bio
Elisabet Forsselius was a Swedish actress and opera singer who belonged to the esteemed group of performers who began The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Sweden in 1788 led […]
Years active
1690 – 1705
Stage Name(s)
Mademoiselle de Maupin, La Maupin
Category
Breeches Roles
Country of Origin
France
Birth – Death
1673 – 1707
Bio
Mademoiselle de Maupin was born Julie D’Aubigny around the year 1673 in Paris, France. Despite living a mere 33 years, her life was filled with adventure, intrigue, danger and torrid […]
Years active
1685-1723
Stage Name(s)
Susanna Centlivre
Category
Breeches Roles
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
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 into […]
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 […]