ArtistInfo

Katharine Cornell

1893-1974 US
Producer of Spoken Word

Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893 – June 9, 1974) was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York.Cornell garnered the nickname of "First Lady of the Theatre," a title also bestowed upon her friend Helen Hayes, though each deferred the honor to the other. Cornell is noted for her major Broadway roles in serious dramas, often directed by her husband, Guthrie McClintic. The couple formed a production company, which gave them complete artistic freedom in choosing and producing plays. Their production company gave first or prominent Broadway roles to some of the more notable actors of the 20th century, including many British Shakespearean actors. Cornell was noted for spurning screen roles, unlike