McGrath first appeared on stage when she was years old. Her parents were friends with some of the actors presenting ''The Country Editor'', and the actors asked that McGrath be allowed to play a child's role. By age 5, she played a dual role in ''East Lynne'', and from age 6 to 10 she had a child's role in ''The Peddler''. After that, she lived in a convent for four years.
Career
When McGrath was 14, she performed with
Henry Miller
Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, so ...
in ''For a Woman'', after which she had the juvenile female lead in ''Getting a Polish'' with May Irwin. Following that, she joined a stock company in
Union Hill, New Jersey
Union Hill was a town that existed in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, from 1864 to June 1, 1925, when it merged with West Hoboken to form Union City.
History
Civic boundaries
The area that became West Hoboken was originally inhabi ...
, as its ingenue. In 1918, McGrath became the leading lady of the Auditorium Players in Baltimore. She performed at the Grand Opera House in Paterson, the Gaiety Theater in Hoboken, the American Theatre in Philadelphia, and the Garrick Theatre in New York before she joined the Grand Opera House Players in Brooklyn, New York as their ingenue in 1915.
By April 1921, McGrath headed the Frances McGrath Resident Players at the Lyceum Theatre in Paterson, New Jersey. In May 1922, she returned to act with the Blaney Players at the Yorkville Theater in New York. The trade publication ''
The Billboard
The Billboard () is a massive granite monolith in the Sarnoff Mountains of the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica, standing just west of Mount Rea between Arthur Glacier and Boyd Glacier.
History
It was discovered in November 193 ...
'' described the public's response as having "the appearance of a small-sized tho friendly riot to get into the playhouse". She went on to perform with the Fulton Players in Brooklyn.
On Broadway, McGrath appeared in ''The Governor's Boss'' (1914), portrayed Florence Gordon in ''Two Strangers From Nowhere'' (1924), and portrayed Josephine Gilbert in ''Tired Business Man'' (1929).
Personal life
McGrath was married to Forrest Orr, and they had a son, Forrest Orr Jr.