Elizabeth Robins. This item is unavailable.Elizabeth Robins

Beautiful and talented, versatile and charismatic, Elizabeth Robins was one of the foremost actresses of her day. Yet, this enduring character was also an active and lifelong feminist, and her life as a suffragette saw her working alongside the Pankhursts in the Women's and Social and Political Union. A prolific novelist and playwright, her play "Votes for Women!" changed the nature of theatre by instigating suffrage drama. She became so well known for portraying characters from Ibsen's plays that she is credited with bringing the playwright's work to prominence. Born in America during the Civil War, Elizabeth nevertheless made her home in England, where she became acquainted with Oscar Wilde, Virginia and Leonard Woolf and Henry James. Oscar Wilde introduced her to the London stage, and before long she had become one of the most popular actresses in London with an assured entry into London's leading artistic and political circles. Encountering heartbreak and solitude (Elizabeth's husband George Park drowned himself in 1887), this remarkable actress became one of the most fascinating characters of the fin de siecle world. In this intriguing biography, Angela John examines Elizabeth's historical identity and, drawing extensively on her diaries, letters and reviews, provides a fascinating study of the social culture surrounding a woman who lived a life in the spotlight.

Elizabeth Robins was born in America, but spent much of her time in England, returning to the United States for long visits. She started her career as an actress, her search for serious parts for women resulting in her being the first to play Hedda Gabler in Britain. She became a key figure in theatre management of the fin de siecle. She was also a writer of substance whose publications included polemical works, short stories and novels. One of her plays, Votes for Women! instigated suffrage drama. As a suffragette Robins worked alongside the Pankhursts in the Women's Social and Political Union. She remained an active and lifelong feminist, especially concerned with women's health issues. This new biography examines historical identities, asking how and why Elizabeth Robins chose to present herself in the ways she did at different times throughout her life. It also considers how others interpreted her, and in the process it re-evaluates the purpose of historical biography. Drawing extensively on Robins's diary, letters, drafts of novels, reviews and many other sources from her and her contemporaries' papers in the United States, Britain and elsewhere, Angela John's portrait demonstrates the multi-faceted nature of Elizabeth Robins's life. This stimulating biography also provides a fascinating study of the political and cultural periods in which Elizabeth Robins moved.