Mary Shaw actress

Mary G. Shaw (January 25, 1854 – May 18, 1929) was an American actress, playwright, suffragist, and early feminist. She 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. She suffered and would die from heart disease. Her dedication to acting was inspiring. Shaw was often criticized for acting in a very explicit way, namely for wearing excessive makeup as in her more risqué roles. She often chose her roles with a feminist mindset as most plays at the time were created by men and did not portray women correctly. Shaw wrote and directed several satirical pieces including The Parrot Cage, which she wrote during her lifetime, and The Cabbage Patch Girl, a play about the life of Mrs. Wiggs, a woman who had a baby in aabbage patch.