Accommodations for Pregnancy and Childbirth on the Late Eighteenth-Century London Stage

Drawing on close examination of surviving financial, biographical, and repertory records, this article demonstrates the existence of a number of accommodations for childbearing women at Covent Garden and Drury Lane between 1768 and 1800, including paid leave policies and repertory changes. It dispel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEighteenth-century studies Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 425 - 447
Main Author Phillips, Chelsea
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press 01.03.2023
Subjects
18th century
Actors
Careers
Celebrities
Childbirth & labor
Gardens & gardening
Maternity & paternity leaves
Mothers
Pregnancy
Theater
Wages & salaries
Women
Womens health
United Kingdom > UK
England
London England
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Summary:Drawing on close examination of surviving financial, biographical, and repertory records, this article demonstrates the existence of a number of accommodations for childbearing women at Covent Garden and Drury Lane between 1768 and 1800, including paid leave policies and repertory changes. It dispels assumptions about working women and pregnancy, proves that the late eighteenth-century theatre had a more generous paid family leave policy than most U.S. citizens enjoy today, and positions the embodied realities of women's experiences as a major factor in theatrical management throughout the eighteenth century.
ISSN:0013-2586
1086-315X
1086-315X
DOI:10.1353/ecs.2023.0031