As a theatre major, I loved getting to explore more about a person and subject I studied in school! Such a cool look into the life of the person who made my career as an actor possible.

Charlotte Cushman is an absolutely fascinating person, and I'm glad the author took the time to write a biography of her. That said, I found it to be a very dry and basic read, more chronological and linear than thematic, and not much in depth or big picture analysis on her life or legacy. I'd have loved more detail from correspondence and articles about her, and less of the basic background information. I hope to read more about Charlotte and her Jolly Bachelors in the future.

A note for the publisher: I found MANY errors throughout the book - typos, missing quotes, repeated paragraphs, etc.

A solid, well-researched biography of a woman whose fame was prodigious in her time but who's largely forgotten now. I'm assuming the reason we don't all know her name along with other famous Shakespearean actors like Macready and Forrest is because of sexism.

An extraordinary life, grateful to this author for dusting off Charlotte Cushman's legacy and shining the spotlight on this extraordinary woman's career once more.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Entertaining, enjoyable, enlightening – just what a good biography should be. I’d never heard of 19th century actress Charlotte Cushman and am very happy to have made her acquaintance. She was quite a woman….and has been unjustifiably neglected.

My thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster and Tana Wojczuk for an ARC of ‘Lady Romeo’ in exchange for an honest book review.
I love biography and had no idea who Charlotte Cushman was but was attracted to and intrigued by the book description and instantly wanted to know more about her. Actress, 19th century radical, pioneer and icon are just a few words to describe this remarkable woman.
From a humble, middle class early life and at 5’7” often regarded as mannish and not dainty, she had the drive and determination to become a famous actress. She was the celebrity of her time and most likely the first method actor. A Shakespearean actress, successfully playing female and males roles (Lady MacBeth and her legendary Romeo) she won the adoration of American and European fans. She was daring, she was romantic, captivating and an array of artists, politicians and writers were in awe of her. Charlotte Cushman had stage presence. She performed with Edwin and John Wilkes Booth. Louisa May Alcott had a “stage struck fit” after seeing her perform and Abraham Lincoln, Cornelius Vanderbilt and Walt Whitman were fans.
Her private life was often tempestuous. She was political. She lived a lesbian lifestyle. Meeting writer Matilda Hayes in England they became romantically involved living openly as a couple. Intermittently living in Rome, she established a colony of female artists and writers becoming romantically involved with several of them. It is speculated that sculptor Emma Stebbins immortalized her lover in her masterpiece ‘Angel of the Waters’ statue which sits atop the Bethesda Fountain in New York’s Central Park.
Charlotte died in 1876 at the age of 59 . At that time, she was one of the most famous people in the world. She was remembered with candlelight vigils in Boston and New York. Tickets were sold for her funeral with thousands gathering on the streets outside of the church when tickets had sold out and yet she was lost to history.
Thanks to Tana Wojczuk, Charlotte Cushman is once again taking center stage. This is one of the best biographies I have ever read. I too have fallen in love with this enigmatic woman.
Highly recommended.

A great biography about a queer woman, whose story was largely omitted from history books due to her unconventional life. I liked this overview of her life, but did feel it was a bit lacking in terms of its narrow focus, as opposed to putting things into a more general context in terms of how both actors/actresses and queer folks in the 1800s were viewed.

Charlotte Cushman, the Kim Kardashian of her time...., maybe.

Tana Wojczuk has written an exhaustively researched book about one of history's forgotten women. Charlotte Cushman was an actress, an intellectual, an openly queer woman in a time when such things were not discussed.

From the stage to her friendship with Presidents, Cushman made an impact that so few women of the time did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

As an English major and an English teacher, I was familiar with some of the famous actors who brought Shakespeare to life in Tana Wojczuk's Lady Romeo - but the titular figure had never appeared in my studies. Wojczuk is a talented writer. In short, punchy chapters, she reminds us that much that we're still fighting so hard for (the rights of women, lgbtq+ rights) has a rich history with figures who weren't afraid to speak up. In this story of America's first celebrity, reader's learn how the actress shaped herself and how she used work as a coping mechanism for grief and how she dedicated herself to work in hopes of keeping her family together. If you have any interest in the stage, in Shakespeare, in early America, or in the transformations we're all constantly undergoing (life really is a stage!), pick this one up for a work that is both historical and fun. Here's a preview of Charlotte working her magic: "For Charlotte, a character was not only learned but grasped at once in a flash of intuition. Then she would distill the character through repetition. Charlotte’s Meg was so popular the show was extended. When her stockings wore out, Charlotte mended them rather than buy new ones, to keep up the appearance of age and poverty. When her costume needed to be replaced, she dyed the new one by hand, rubbing it with dirt and other mixtures she invented herself to age it. She continued to do her makeup and hair as she had done that first night: a river of lines and age spots."

The story of Charlotte Cushman’s life was an amazing read. She tread the boards of some of the most famous playhouses of her time, not to mention having rubbed shoulders with the famous actors.actresses, artists, writers and the like. But what struck me the most was how far ahead of her time she was. She was queer and unapologetic about it, she was involved in a number of romantic relationships (and before this book I’d never heard of female marriage before), she was involved in political causes and was a chameleon on the stage playing male and female roles and bringing a new take to many of the parts she played. Thank you to Tana Wojczuk for brining the story of Charlotte Cushman to our attention.

The story of a little known, but pioneering actress, Lady Romeo introduces the reader to Charlotte Cushman- perhaps the greatest actress of her age and a woman who proved to the world that America was ready to embrace culture, theater, and especially Shakespeare. Her triumphs and setbacks built Charlotte into a strong and determined woman- determined to provide for her family, determined to prove her own talent, and determined to prove America's cultural place in the world. She befriended politicians and authors, actors and sculptors, and helped support other women in their professions. Described here by Tana Wojczuk as America's first celebrity, Charlotte Cushman also had to learn to balance her public and private lives. Especially when she was young, Charlotte worried about the effect on her American career if it was discovered that she had "married" another woman. But in Europe as a leading actress her relationships with women and tendency to wear men's clothes were less remarked on.

I loved learning about the enterprising, determined, and pioneering Charlotte Cushman. Wojczuk is at her best when writing about Charlotte's time on stage, bringing to life Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth or Romeo. At these times Charlotte herself comes to life, much as she breathed life into her characters. Wojczuk describes how Cushman left an entire generation of women (including Louisa May Alcott) star-struck; redefined Romeo and reintroduced the original Shakespearean text of Romeo and Juliet to English audiences; and broke restricting 19th-century gender roles on both sides of the ocean.

I would have enjoyed a deeper exploration of Cushman's inner life- her emotions and thoughts, her family, and her romantic relationships- instead of the often flat or surface look we get here. Lady Romeo is often so fast-paced that it feels like we've skipped years of Cushman's life and development. At other times repetition or time-period hopping take away some of the emotional impact of scenes like Cushman's final performance- beautifully written and detailed but put in the beginning of the book, before we get to know Cushman, and then ignored completely at the end when it might have had an even larger emotional impact. The people around Charlotte had no life to them, we get no real idea why Charlotte loved someone, what attracted her to a person (platonically or romantically). Whether this is because there wasn't anything in the resources used to flesh out the people, or often Charlotte herself, is impossible to say. But Lady Romeo definitely left me wanting to know more about Charlotte and her world- how she fit into it and how she changed it to fit her.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Tana Wojczuk's novel is a wonderful recounting of the life of the 19th century world famous actress Charlotte Cushman, a woman who sadly has been erased from history until now. I found myself quickly caught up in Charlotte's rather extensive and prestigious career, as well as the time period in which she lived and worked. I loved reading about how Cushman chose to leave behind the life she was accustomed too, along with numerous suitors, in order to pursue her love and dreams of becoming a Shakespearean actress; a career path which was looked down upon in 19th century America. Cushman not only helped to change the American mindset about the theater, but she became world famous and portrayed some of Shakespeare's most iconic roles, from Lady Macbeth to Romeo, around the world. I further enjoyed reading about the changing political and historical landscape throughout her life, from meeting and performing for President Lincoln before the outbreak of the Civil War to acting with and disliking John Wilkes Booth. As with many celebrities, even today, Cushman eventually started to experience the kind of fame where her life was held up to scrutiny, but she didn't let that stop her from living her life and managing to carry on various Lesbian relationships. Although I'm sad that Cushman's life, accomplishments and achievements were lost to history for all these years, I'm glad to see that she is being reintroduced to the world and I can only hope that this book helps to place her back within the historical theatrical register where she belongs. My only complaints are that I felt as though the book was a rather short read, I would've loved more fleshing out of Cushman's life; this may however be due to lack of research materials available to the author.

A fascinating read a look at Charlotte Cushman a woman ahead of her time .An actress a woman who led her own life in her own way.This reads like a page turning novel even though it’s fact.#netgalley#avidpress

I don’t recall learning about Charlotte Cushman in school, and as someone who was active in the performing arts, I’m surprised I didn’t even recognize her name! Being a celebrity in the 1800s meant something very different than it does in today’s world. Her hard work, talent, and ambition got her recognition in both America and Europe, and yet her influence has been lost today. This biography reads more like a novel with all the facts and historical information brilliantly woven into Charlotte’s story. I was quickly rapt up with Charlotte Cushman, her ambition, and forward-thinking lifestyle. I would recommend to anyone interested in performing arts, the theater, women’s rights, or just a good read in general.

I’ve been on something of a biography kick lately. But mostly I watched them, reading them it still not on my regular reading menu and yet this one intrigued me. Someone I’ve never heard of and yet someone I wanted to learn about, an actress, a star, an artist, someone who gained fame and fortune on both sides of the Atlantic, was widely celebrated in life…and seemingly all but forgotten in death. Nowadays celebrity worship has reached alarming (much undeserving) proportions, but back in the day, before social media, tv, phones, etc. fame was a different beast altogether. Charlotte Cushman has tamed that beast, though, made it work for her, and became as famous of a celebrity as it was possible during her lifetime. She came from humble beginnings, was deemed too tall (at scandalous 5’7”), too manly in appearance (as in not dainty enough), had to struggle to maintain her lesbian lifestyle private throughout her life despite vicious rumors, had many setbacks (personal and professional) and her sheer immense talent helped her rise above it all to become the definitive Shakespearean actress of her time, specializing in both male and female roles. In fact, as you can tell by the title, her Romeo was legendary and in real life (in some sort of pleasant symmetry) she was quite a Romeo herself, more so even, more like a player, juggling dalliances like a sort of American Gentleman Jack. To read about Cushman’s life was fascinating, positively riveting, as exciting as any work of fiction, in fact it made me think of Tipping The Velvet, only a nonfictional version. Also a very American version, it covers a lot of events that shaped the country in the 1800s. I must say as much as I enjoy historical nonfiction, my preference is usually for something set further back and definitely further away, which is to say it takes a lot to make American past interesting to me and this book has succeeded tremendously in that respect. And Cushman (much like many celebrities nowadays) was an important figure of power at the time, she hung out with Lincoln and raised money for all the right causes. And across the pond, there’s also the time where she lived in Italy and established something of an all women artist colony, all that talent and all that romantic turbulence. It wasn’t a very long life, tragically cut short at 59 (which even considering life expectancy of the time is pretty early), but it was a good and interesting life. Well worth remembering. Well worth reading about. Industrialization age put an end to the sort of leisure time average Americans had to spend in the theatres, overworking led to a general sort of dumbing down and interest in less demanding forms of entertainment (and oh how it parallels the modern times and the rise of the dumbest pastimes ever televised or otherwise) and so Shakespeare was no longer the genuinely democratic sort of fun the bard intended. The words and those who spoke them with such passion were forgotten for a time, but then there’s this book, so awesomely, so vividly bringing to life the bygone days and plays and star who once shone so brightly. Terrific book, a success in every way, exciting, edifying, entertaining…an absolute delight to read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I've enjoyed reading about the life, career and influence of Charlotte Cushman in Lady Romeo. The author provides a wealth, though not an overwhelming amount, of historical and personal detail. Elements of Cushman's acting technique, her devotion to her family, and her friendships and romances are of particular interest. I'm grateful to the author for bringing this lost celebrity, and one of the US's first famous actors, back into public knowledge.