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Laura Keene, 1820/26-1873
Born London, England
English actress Laura Keene achieved fame in the United States, not only as a brilliant comedic star but as one of the nation's first woman managers of a major theatrical company. Following her American stage debut in 1852, Keene performed in a number of cities and briefly managed theaters in Baltimore and San Francisco before settling in New York City, where she opened her own theater in 1856. Specializing in elaborately staged comic productions, Keene delighted audiences and succeeded in attracting to her company a host of celebrated actors. She assumed a role in each of her productions, achieving her greatest success as Florence Trenchard in the hugely popular comedy Our American Cousin. On the night of April 14, 1865, Keene was appearing in this play at Ford's Theatre for an audience that included Abraham Lincoln when John Wilkes Booth fired the shot that claimed the president's life.
Mathew Brady Studio, print from c. 1865 wet collodion negative |