New Books in Critical Theory Amy Hughes, "An Actor's Tale: Theater, Culture, and Everyday Life in the Nineteenth-Century United States" (U Michigan Press, 2025)
Nov 24, 2025
Dr. Amy Hughes, theater historian and author of *An Actor's Tale*, dives into the life of Harry Watkins, a nondescript 19th-century actor. She uncovers the forgotten narratives of ordinary performers, questioning how white mediocrity has shaped American culture. The discussion highlights how myths like meritocracy and the American Dream influenced both Watkins and modern entertainment. Amy also reflects on gender dynamics, the value of labor in marriage, and her next project exploring 19th-century dog dramas, shedding light on our cultural love for dogs.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Ordinary Lives Reveal Hidden Cultural Patterns
- Dr. Amy Hughes recovered Harry Watkins' uncatalogued diary and found ordinariness to be the project's subject rather than a flaw.
- Studying an average 19th-century actor reveals cultural norms that elite-focused histories miss.
From Army Fifer To Itinerant Actor
- Harry Watkins joined the U.S. Army at 13, played fife, ran illicit mail, and performed female parts to entertain troops at frontier forts.
- Those early experiences propelled him into a four-decade itinerant theatrical career across the U.S. and England.
Myths Protected White Male Advantage
- Watkins' career shows early formation of conservative, market-driven tendencies in US theater that favor perceived excellence over experimentation.
- Myths like meritocracy and the self-made man protected white male advantage and shaped theatrical recognition then and now.
