Relationship with William Charles Macready
This part of the exhibit sheds light on the professional encounters between Cushman and famous English actor Macready that boost her career options in England. A couple of engagements that both share are well-received by the public and the press. Macready's diary entries reveal a complicated and dynamic relationship that is mostly shaped by Cushman's acting aspirations, gestures of courtship, her striving for success, the reputation management - all of which apparently offend Macready rather than please him.
William Charles Macready
Macready's Diary – Cushman mentions
Cushman's lyrical praise of Macready (The Anglo American, Jan 1844)
fals reports on Cushman going tour with Macready (Boston Evening Transcript, October 31, 1843)
Newspaper speculations about a potential tour of Cushman and Macready (Boston Evening Transcript, Macready and Cushman, November 14, 1843)
Boston Evening Transcript, False Reports, November 16, 1843
"it was not till after she had seen and acted with Mr. Macready, –which she did the next season, –that she really brought artistic study and finish to her performances": Vandenhoff's Leaves from an Actor's Note-Book (1860)
Thomas Colley Grattan addresses false reports and criticism of Macready in a letter to Charlotte Cushman, n.d. [1843]
The New York Herald about Macready and Cushman performing Macbeth, Oct 26, 1843
Pennsylvania Inquirer and National Gazette highlights reciprocal benefits of Macready and Cushman in case they perform together on stage, Nov 1, 1843
The New York Herald describes Cushman as a rising star but dismisses Macready in favor of Forrest (October 31, 1843)
Henry Cushman's A Historical and Biographical Genealogy of the Cushmans (1855) describes Cushman's career stages and mentions Macready as an important influence
Mrs. Walker's Reminiscences of the Life of the World-Renowned Charlotte Cushman (1876) depicts the Cushman-Macready- relationship quite contrary to what can be found in Macready's diary
The Northern Star (Aug 16, 1845) compares Charlotte Cushman with William Macready and discusses how they share a strong resemblance in both performance and physical appearance
"First Impressions of Cushman's Romeo" (People's Journal, Vol 2, July 18, 1846) praises her performance and compares it to that of William Macready
The Era (Jan 4, 1846) criticizes for her performance being influenced by William Macready
The New York Daily Herald (March 21, 1845) mentions Macready as having had an important impact on Cushman's career but also reminds the reader that "Macready and Miss Cushman became estranged before the departure of the former from this country"
"Memorabilia of Charlotte Cushman," (Chicago Daily Tribune, Feb 27, 1876) reads Macready's diary selectively, leaving out the critical parts about Cushman
Anne Brewster's "Miss Cushman" (Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Aug 1878) offers an account of Macready and Cushman's business relationship that differs decisively from the one addressed in Macready's diary
Cushman mentions Macready's rivalry with Edwin Forrest and (Oct 17, 1847)