Thomas Abthorpe Cooper

the long version

"Thomas Abthorpe Cooper was the first star of the American stage. The chief transitional figure between the British stage and the American, he contributed greatly to the development of the latter. For three decades after 1797, Cooper performed in major cities and in every state in the Union." "This work covers his entire life and career from his birth outside London in 1775, to his famed performance to celebrate the opening of the City of Washington in 1800, to his death in New York in 1849. Much research is drawn from Mr. Cooper's letters to his mentor, English radical philosopher William Godwin. Throughout, there are descriptions of his principal roles at different stages in his career, drawn from contemporary accounts and theatrical reviews. There are also 22 illustrations, from paintings and engravings to playbills and photographs of the sites associated with the actor."--BOOK JACKET.