Mary Shaw

Mary G. Shaw (January 25, 1854 – May 18, 1929) was an American actress, playwright, suffragist, and early feminist. Shaw was involved in the women's movement since the early 1890s, and in 1892 she became a member of the Professional Women's League. She played many controversial roles in her career as an actress, and was involved in some of the most controversial plays of her time such as Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts and Hedda Gabler, George Bernard Shaw's (no relation) Mrs. Warren's Profession and many female suffrage plays. Shaw, along with actress Jessie Bonstelle, designed the Woman's National Theatre in the early twentieth century. Shaw suffered and would die from heart disease. The Cradle Song was her last appearance on stage as a result of the illness.