Maria Henry née Storer (died 25 April 1795 in Philadelphia), was an American stage actress. She was engaged in the

Old American Company The Old American Company was an American theatre company. It was the first fully professional theatre company to perform in North America. It also played a vital role in the theatre history of Jamaica. It was founded in 1752 and disbanded in 1805. ...

. Maria Henry was the youngest of four Storer sisters (of at least seven) who were actors of the Old American Company; the eldest, Jane, died at a fire at sea near

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

; the second, Ann Nancy Storer, became known under the name "Mrs Hogg"; and the third was Frances (Fanny). Jane was married to actor

John Henry John Henry most commonly refers to: *John Henry (folklore) John Henry may also refer to: People Artists and entertainers * John Henry (actor) (1738–1794), Irish and early American actor *Seán Ó hEinirí (1915–1998), known in English as John ...

(died 1794), manager of the

. Shortly after Jane's death at sea, Ann lived with Henry (and possibly bore him a son), and by 1768 was credited in theatrical bills using his surname. However, by 1775, they had gone their separate ways, she to Dublin to act, he to Jamaica. By 1788, Maria was probably Henry's wife. Maria Henry first appeared in children's parts in 1767-68, and progressed to principal parts in both tragedy and comedy when the matured in age and training. At that time it was not a given thing for an actor to perform in different types of roles, as 18th-century actors often specialized in certain types of roles, but Maria Henry became known for her versability. She also performed singing parts and was an appreciated singer. She belonged to the elite of the actors of the colonial and early post-revolutionary American stage and was referred to as "the first primadonna of the American stage". She was however also a controversial figure; reportedly, she was at times in conflict with colleagues which attracted public criticism and refused to play the roles she was given if she did not felt sympathy for the part, which exposed her to public dislike from the audience; her alcoholism did also create disturbances in her performances which attracted criticism. Nevertheless, she retained her popularity as one of the stars of the American stage until her retirement. In 1794, she and her spouse retired from the stage and settled in their house behind the theater in Philadelphia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Maria 1795 deaths 18th-century American actresses American stage actresses Year of birth unknown