Ann West Bignall (died 1805) was an American stage actress.

Biography

Born in the late 1760s, she was the daughter of actors

Thomas Wade West Thomas Wade West (died 1799), was an American (originally English) actor and theatre manager. West broke the monopoly of the Old American Company in 1790 by founding the Virginia Company in Richmond (also called Virginia Comedians and South Carol ...

and

Margaretta Sully West Margaret Sully West or Margaretta Sully West, née Sully, (d. 1810), was an American stage actress and theater director. She was the director of the Virginia Comedians and as such the leader of the theatrical activity within contemporary Virginia ...

. She was married to actor

John Bignall John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(d. 1794) and in 1795 to actor James West.

Career

She emigrated with her family to the United States in 1790 and was engaged with them in the

Old American Company The Old American Company was an American theatre company. It was the first fully professional theatre company to perform in North America. It also played a vital role in the theatre history of Jamaica. It was founded in 1752 and disbanded in 1805. ...

until her father founded the Virginia Company (also called Virginia Comedians and South Carolina Company), which toured the Southern States of Virginia and the Carolinas. After this, she was active within the company of her parents until her death. The company virtually had a monopoly in Virginia and the Carolinas, and she was the leading lady and one of the star attractions. In 1804,

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

called her "the best female actress in America". After her death, the ''Richmond Enquirer'' often compared other actresses to Bignall as a role model.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bignall, Ann West 18th-century American actresses 1805 deaths Year of birth missing 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses