Katherine Corey facts for kids

Katherine Corey was an English actress who performed from around 1660 to 1692. She was one of the very first women to act on public stages in Britain. Before her time, only men and boys performed in plays.

Katherine Corey worked with two important acting groups: the King's Company and the United Company. She had one of the longest careers of any actress from her time. She once wrote that she was "the first and is the last of all the actresses that were constituted by King Charles the Second at His Restauration." This means she was one of the first actresses chosen by King Charles II when he returned to the throne.

Early Life and Career

Katherine Corey started her acting career using her maiden name, Mitchell. By 1663, she was known as Mrs. Corey. She was a strong actress with a special talent for comedy. People loved watching her in many different roles. She was especially good at playing older women, like bossy wives, mothers, or governesses.

A famous diarist named Samuel Pepys admired Katherine Corey's acting. He often called her "Doll Common." This was the name of a character she played in a popular play called The Alchemist by Ben Jonson.

Famous Roles and Plays

During her three decades on stage, Katherine Corey played many different characters. She performed in older plays from the English Renaissance theatre period. She also acted in many new plays written by famous writers of her time.

Some of her roles in older plays included:

• Lady Would-be in Jonson's Volpone
• Mrs. Otter in Epicene
• Sempronia in Catiline
• Arane in Beaumont and Fletcher's A King and No King

She also starred in plays by well-known writers like John Dryden:

• Octavia in All for Love
• Melissa in The Maiden Queen

And by William Wycherley:

• Lucy in The Country Wife
• Widow Blackacre in The Plain Dealer

And by Nathaniel Lee:

• Agrippina in The Tragedy of Nero
• Sysigambis in The Rival Queens

Katherine Corey had a big success in 1674 as Strega, the main character in The Amorous Old Woman by Thomas Duffet. She also appeared in other plays by Duffet, such as Psyche Debauch'd and The Spanish Rogue.

Later Career and Challenges

In the spring of 1689, Katherine Corey faced a challenge in her career. Some actors from the United Company tried to start their own acting group. When this plan failed, the manager, Charles Killigrew, would not let Corey return to the United Company.

Katherine Corey did not give up. She wrote a "humble petition" (a formal request) to the Lord Chamberlain, who was a high-ranking official in charge of royal households and entertainment. She asked to be allowed back into the company, and she won! She was able to continue her acting career.

In the final years of her career, she continued to play various parts, including:

• Mrs. Bumfiddle in D'Urfey's The Marriage-Hater Matched
• Mrs. Flint in Behn's The Widow Ranter
• The Abbess of Charlton in The Merry Devil of Edmonton

Even though she had a long and successful career, she mentioned in her petition that she was never paid more than 30 shillings a week.

The "First English Actress" Debate

Because Katherine Corey was one of the earliest actresses with the King's Company, some people have wondered if she was the very "first English actress." This honor usually goes to the woman who played Desdemona in a performance of Othello on December 8, 1660.

However, most experts believe it was probably not Katherine Corey. They think her acting style, which was great for comedy, might not have fit the serious role of Desdemona. Other actresses like Margaret Hughes or Anne Marshall are more often thought to be the first to play that famous part.