ABSTRACT
Charlotte Charke (1713–1760)—an actress known for playing male roles both on and off stage—becomes both a theater critic and a craft theorist in her autobiography A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Charlotte Charke (1755). From sharing insider anecdotes to using her personal experience as evidence, Charke never fails to entertain her reader. Along with this entertainment comes insight into the challenges of the trade. From punishing work as a stroller, to vengeful audience members, to encroaching performers who lack training but call themselves actors, Charlotte Charke argues for the integrity of her trade in the face of endless imposition.
