Ann West Bignall

Ann West Bignall (died 1805), was an American stage comedic actress.

Biography

Born in the late 1760s, she was the daughter of actors Thomas Wade West and Margaretta Sully West. She was married to actor John Bignall (d. 1794) and in 1795 to actor James West.[1]

Career

She emigrated with her family to the United States in 1790 and was engaged with them in the Old American Company until her father founded the Virginia Company (also called Virginia Comedians and South Carolina Company), which toured the Southern States of Virginia and the Carolinas.[1]

After this, she was active within the company of her parents until her death. The Company virtually had a monopoly in Virginia and the Carolinas, and she was the leading lady and one of the star attractions, usually given good critics even when the performance as such was given bad reviews.[1]

In 1804, Aaron Burr called her "the best female actress in America".[1] After her death, the Richmond Enquirer often compared other actresses to Bignall as a role model.[1]

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References
  1. Kelly Henderson Hayes (1998). "Ann West Bignall (d. 1805) : Biography". Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Library of Virginia. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
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