Elizabeth Walker Morris (died 17 April 1826 in Philadelphia), was an English-born American stage actress. She was engaged 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. ...

. Elizabeth Walker Morris was married to the actor

Owen Morris Owen Morris (born in Caernarfon, Wales) is a Welsh record producer who has worked with rock bands including Oasis (band), Oasis, the Fratellis, Ash (band), Ash, The View (band), the View, Loso and the Verve. Biography Morris started working in t ...

(d. 1809) in his second marriage. She is first noted to have performed as a member of the

in the

Southwark Theatre in Philadelphia Southwark Theatre, was a theatre in Philadelphia, founded in 1766. It played a significant part in the Culture of Philadelphia as well as the United States, being the first permanent theatre in Philadelphia and the first permanent theatre in the ...

in 1772. As a member of that troupe she toured through the colonies and to the West Indies before returning to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in 1785. Elizabeth Walker Morris was described as a tall beauty with a preference for high heels and a dislike for attention outside of the stage. She was referred to as one of the greatest theatrical stars of the 18th-century American theatre and very popular in her time, also within contemporary press reviews and critics. The ''Pennsylvania Biographical Dictionary'' described her as "the greatest attraction of the American stage ..especially in higher comedy." She reportedly became the first actress in America to play the role of

Beatrice Beatrice may refer to: * Beatrice (given name) Places In the United States * Beatrice, Alabama, a town * Beatrice, Humboldt County, California, a locality * Beatrice, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Beatrice, Indiana, an unincorporated ...

in ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' on 18 March 1789 in Philadelphia.Charles E. L. Wingate,
Shakespeare's Heroines on the Stage
', 1895 However, Elizabeth Walker Morris was reportedly involved in a conflict with her colleague

Maria Henry Maria Henry née Storer (died 25 April 1795 in Philadelphia), was an American stage actress. She was engaged in the Old American Company.Dunlap, William, A history of the American theatre' Maria Henry was the youngest of the four Storer sisters, a ...

, supported by

Thomas Wignell Thomas Wignell (1753 – 21 February 1803) was an English-born actor and theatre manager in the colonial United States. Early years Thomas Wignell was born into a working theatre family. He was born in England to his parents John and Henrietta ...

, while John Henry was in conflict with Owen Morris, conflicts which eventually resulted in them leaving the company. In 1792, the Morris couple left the American Company to form their own theatre company in collaboration with

; then just the third theatre company in America. Together they performed in the first theatrical season ever given in the history of Boston. From 1794 to 1810, she performed at the

Chestnut Street Theatre The Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first theater in the United States built by entrepreneurs solely as a venue for paying audiences.The Chestnut Street Theatre Project The New Theatre (First Chestnut Street Theatre) ...

in Philadelphia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Elizabeth Walker 18th-century American actresses American stage actresses Year of birth missing 1826 deaths