Edith Craig : work in the theatre as a struggle for social equality

Abstract

This study focuses on the theatre work of Edith Craig, especially on the period of her company, the Pioneer Players (1911-1925) providing a careful examination of the major suffrage theatrical societies in England. To demonstrate the relevance of the Pioneer's endeavours, their work is set against the background of the socio-political issues of the time, which ranged from the fight for the rights of working classes, women, women's right to vote and issues of war. In Craig's lifetime, very few women had their own established identity, and were recognised for their particular merits. The study portrays the personality and independence of Edith Craig, these traits reveal a talented and self-made woman who did not rely on the fame of her mother Ellen Terry and her brother Edward Gordon Craig. The focus on her work shows how her achievements were purely the result of her persistence, her talent and convictions