Catherine Amelia Holman Gilfert (1789–1833) was an American stage actor and theater manager. She was referred to by contemporary critics as the first star of the American theater. She was the

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

of the

Charleston Theatre Charleston Theatre, also called Broad Street Theatre was a theatre in Charleston, South Carolina between 1794 and 1833. It was the first permanent theatre in Charleston, the first with a permanent staff, and the only theater for much of its durati ...

in 1823–24 and 1824–25.

Career

A native of England, she was born to actor and manager

Joseph George Holman Joseph George Holman (1764–1817) was an English actor, dramatist and actor-manager. Early life Born in August 1764, he was son of John Major Holman of St. Giles's, Middlesex, an ensign and adjutant in the British service, who died when his so ...

(1764–1817) and debuted as an actor at the Theatre-Royal,

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

, London in 1812. She and her father performed in April 1812 at the Georgian Theatre,

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland Port of Wisbech, port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bord ...

(now the

Angles Theatre The Angles Theatre is a theatre and historic Georgian playhouse in the market town of Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. It is among the oldest of Britain's theatres. The current premises consists of the original theatre building and ...

), managed by

Thomas Shaftoe Robertson Thomas Shaftoe Robertson (1765 – September 1831) was a British actor who became the manager of a circuit of theatres in and around Lincolnshire that he carried on for nearly half a century. He was able to attract well-known London actors to t ...

, as Cora and Rolla in '' Pizzarro'' on 8th, Desdemona and Othello in ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' on 10th, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth in ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' on 11th, and she played Lady Contest in the Farce of ''The Wedding Day'' the same night (this also being their benefit and last night). The handbills for these performances are among the hundreds of those in the collection of the

Wisbech & Fenland Museum The Wisbech & Fenland Museum, located in the town of Wisbech in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the United Kingdom. The museum logo is W&F. History Initially a member-based organisation ...

. Afterwards they left for the United States, where she spent her remaining career. In 1812, she appeared with her father at the Park Theatre in New York City. Three years later she married German born composer and theatre manager Charles Gilfert (1787-1829). In 1822, Charles sold his managerial interest in the

to his wife's trustee, Dr. John Dyott. Gilfert succeeded her husband as manager for 1823-24 and 1824-25.

References

* NL Stephenson :''The Charleston Theatre management of Charles Gilfert, 1817 to 1822'', 1988 {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilfert, Amelia Holman 1789 births 1833 deaths 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses American theatre managers and producers 19th-century theatre managers Women theatre managers and producers Actor-managers 19th-century American businesswomen 19th-century American businesspeople

Career

See also

References