Maria Smith born Maria Harris aka Mrs Smith was a British stage actress of the late eighteenth century.
Life
Born as Maria Harris, she married the composer Theodore Smith and may have been trained by him. She was billed as Mrs Smith throughout her career. She made her debut at the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
on 20 October 1772
and remained as a member of the company until she retired in 1796.
[The Plays of David Garrick: Volume II, 1767-1775 p.376] For her first few years the company was under the management of
David Garrick
David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...
, with control later passing to
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, poet, and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He is known for his plays such as ''The Rivals'', ''The Sc ...
. In 1776 she had a son but soon eloped with a Mr Bishop who bought her husband's silence as he intended to marry her.
[
]
Selected roles
* Ophelia in ''Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' (1772)
* Serina Violet in '' The Rose'' (1772)
* Clarissa in '' The School for Fathers'' (1773)
References
Bibliography
* Highfill, Philip H, Burnim, Kalman A. & Langhans, Edward A. ''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers, and Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660–1800: Volume VIII''. SIU Press, 1973.
* ''The Plays of David Garrick: Volume II, 1767–1775''. SIU Press, 1980.
English stage actresses
British stage actresses
18th-century English actresses
18th-century British actresses
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