Caroline Chapman

Caroline Chapman (c. 1818, London – 8 May 1876, San Francisco) was an early-American actress (early-to-mid-19th century), who spent a large part of her adult life acting in the theatres of San Francisco.

Career overview

William Chapman, her father, raised her to become an actress and entertainer. As a child, she made her acting debut in 1829 at the American Opera House. In 1831, her father moved the family on a riverboat on the Mississippi River which became "Chapman's Floating Palace." As a young girl, Chapman acted primarily in soubrette roles, performing as comedian, dancer, and singer. Chapman returned east in 1846 and played from 1848 to 1852 with Burton's Theatre in New York, then pursued a career in California, where she performed in San Francisco and the Gold Coast for five years. Famed as an itinerant trouper, she was admired for her versatility in tragic, comic, and romantic roles. Chapman was beloved for her boisterous stage manner, but after 1857 her style grew dated and she began to lose her following.