Anderson, Mary

(1859-1940)

   Despite the brevity of her acting career, Mary Anderson was long vividly remembered and loved for the fresh beauty of her face and stature as well as the charm of her portrayals. "Our Mary" was born in Sacramento and educated at a convent school in Louisville, the city where she made her professional debut as Juliet at Macauley's Theatre in 1875. She toured in the standard repertory of romantic melodramas: The Lady of Lyons, Ingomar, and others, reaching New York's Fifth Avenue Theatre in 1877. She honed her vocal skills for a rich, pleasing delivery. Her plasticity of form made her especially good as Galatea in Pygmalion and Galatea, beginning in 1881. Her 1883 London debut was followed by several other engagements in England. There she was the first actress to double Hermione and Perdita in The Winter's Tale in 1887. The physical strain of her 1889 American tour led her to announce her retirement. In 1890, she married Antonio Fernando de Navarro, and they settled in England, where they raised their two children. Despite calls for her return to the stage, she performed only for charity functions after her marriage. However, she worked with Robert S. Hichens to dramatize his novel, The Garden of Allah (1911).