Rebecca Marshall facts for kids
Rebecca Marshall was a famous English actress. She performed from about 1663 to 1677. She was one of the first women allowed to act on stage in Britain. This was during a time called the Restoration era. Her older sister, Anne Marshall, was also a well-known actress.
Early Acting Career
Rebecca started acting around 1663. She joined a group called the King's Company. This company was led by Thomas Killigrew. Rebecca stayed with the King's Company for most of her career. In her last year, 1677, she joined a different group. This was the rival Duke's Company.
Rebecca acted with her sister Anne at least once. This was in a play called The Maiden Queen by John Dryden in 1664. Anne played a character named Candiope. Rebecca played the Queen. When Anne left the stage for a while in 1668, Rebecca took over some of her roles. These included Aurelia in Dryden's An Evening's Love and Nourmahal in Aureng-zebe.
Famous Roles
Rebecca Marshall played many different characters. She was known for her strong performances. Some of her important roles included:
- Calpurnia in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
- Spaconia in Beaumont and Fletcher's A King and No King
- Quisara in Fletcher's The Island Princess
- Dorothea in Massinger and Dekker's The Virgin Martyr
- Berenice in Dryden's Tyrannick Love
- Lyndaraxa in The Conquest of Granada
- Lucretia in The Assignation
- Ysabinda in Amboyna
- Doralice in Marriage à la mode
- Plantagenet in Boyle's The Black Prince
- Roxana in Lee's The Rival Queens
- Olivia in Wycherly's The Plain Dealer
Rebecca also spoke prologues and epilogues for many plays. These were short speeches at the start or end of a show. In 1672, she took part in two special plays. These were The Parson's Wedding and Philaster. Both plays had only women actors, which was unusual for the time.
Acting with Elizabeth Boutell
Rebecca Marshall often acted with another performer named Elizabeth Boutell. They were known as a "remarkable acting combination." Their first play together was The Roman Empress in 1670.
Their success led to a new trend in plays. These plays featured "women in conflict." In these roles, Rebecca Marshall usually played the strong or challenging character. Elizabeth Boutell often played the good or kind heroine. They showed this pattern in several plays:
- In The Conquest of Granada (1670), Marshall was Lyndaraxa and Boutell was Bezayda.
- In Nathaniel Lee's The Tragedy of Nero (1674), Marshall played Poppea and Boutell played Cyara.
- In John Crowne's The Destruction of Jerusalem (1677), they were Queen Berenice and Clarona.
- In Lee's The Rival Queens (1677), Marshall was Roxana and Boutell was Statira.
Other acting companies also started to use this "women in conflict" idea. The Duke's Company had their own pair of actresses, Mary Betterton and Mary Lee. Later, Elizabeth Barry and Anne Bracegirdle continued this style in the 1680s and 1690s. When Rebecca Marshall joined the Duke's Company for her last season, she acted with Elizabeth Barry. They played a funny version of the "women in conflict" idea in Thomas d'Urfey's A Fond Husband.
Public Life
Samuel Pepys, who wrote a famous diary, often mentioned both Marshall sisters. He called Rebecca "Beck Marshall." Rebecca was known for being very beautiful. This sometimes caused her problems. She had to ask King Charles II twice for protection from men in the audience who were causing trouble. She also had a habit of arguing with another famous actress, Nell Gwyn.
