“I thoroughly enjoyed reading Melanie Gall’s latest offering, Fire Witch. Once again, Gall brings an actress who has faded into the background of theatre history forward into the light of our present day. With Gall’s passion, intelligence, and deft storytelling, Kate Claxton’s life as an indomitable maverick in the theatre world is celebrated and honored in this beautiful rendition of her life. I am so very grateful that I have had the pleasure and privilege of learning about such an important woman in the history of theatre.”
Description
New York’s past holds millions of forgotten stories, but few are as fascinating as the tale of Kate Claxton, the “Fire Witch.” A central figure of American theater in New York’s Gilded Age, she spent her life challenging conventions and flouting expectations. Kate was one of the most famous actors in America, and for over three decades and more than five thousand performances she held theatergoers in her thrall through her portrayal of a single dramatic role: Louise, the sixteen-year-old blind heroine of the French melodrama The Two Orphans.
Despite her supernatural nickname, Kate was no witch. But after the tragic events of December 5, 1876, when she stood onstage amid the panic and flames as the Brooklyn Theatre burned around her, Kate became inseparably connected with the disaster. This inferno, along with multiple subsequent blazes that occurred in hotels and theaters where Kate was present, branded her as “Fire Witch” and “Fire Fiend,” labels that followed her for the rest of her days.
Over a hundred and fifty years later, Kate’s life—and the fire that destroyed Brooklyn’s most opulent playhouse—have been almost completely forgotten. But the inferno is an integral part of New York’s history, and its heroine was a singular woman whose strength and determination carried her through tragedy and scandal to shine as one of the brightest stars of the late nineteenth century.
Reviews
“Gall gives life to Kate Claxton, a thespian in a man’s world, a wife and mother, whose life is fraught with tragedies of her own. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Gall’s research is unparalleled and her storytelling is wonderful.”
“The book is a beautifully told narrative. A real achievement! It has been said that Kate Claxton was the most photographed woman of the nineteenth century, yet her story remains largely unknown in the twenty-first. Melanie Gall's Fire Witch remedies that, beautifully capturing what no photographer's lens could: the soul of the actress whose personal and professional life played out more magnificently than any of the stage melodramas she made famous.”
"Melanie Gall celebrates the life of Kate Claxton, who persevered through barriers that would have defeated lesser women. Gall's informative research leads us on a quest to revive the story of this forgotten actor and businesswoman.”
