author
Martha Morton
1865–1925
A pioneering force in American theater, this playwright built a long professional career at a time when women were rarely welcomed in the field. Her hit plays, sharp determination, and support for other dramatists helped open doors on the New York stage.
2 Audiobooks
Her Lord and Master
by Martha Morton
Val Sinestra
by Martha Morton
About the author
Born in New York City on October 10, 1865, Martha Morton became one of the first American women to make a sustained living as a professional playwright. She studied in New York and also spent part of her youth in England, where she developed a strong interest in literature and dramatic writing.
Morton broke into the theater world in the late 19th century and went on to write many plays for the commercial stage. She was widely recognized as a trailblazer, and sources describe her as the first successful American woman to sustain a lengthy career as a professional playwright. Her work brought her both popularity and financial success in an era when the profession was heavily dominated by men.
She was also active in supporting fellow writers and is remembered for founding the Society of Dramatic Authors. Martha Morton died in New York City on February 18, 1925, but her career remains an important part of the story of women in American theater.