Fire Witch - by Melanie Gall (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

New York's past holds millions of forgotten stories, but few are as fascinating as the tale of Kate Claxton, the "Fire Witch." A central figure of American theater in New York's Gilded Age, she spent her life challenging conventions and flouting expectations. Kate was one of the most famous actors in America, and for over three decades and more than five thousand performances she held theatergoers in her thrall through her portrayal of a single dramatic role: Louise, the sixteen-year-old blind heroine of the French melodrama The Two Orphans.

Despite her supernatural nickname, Kate was no witch. But after the tragic events of December 5, 1876, when she stood onstage amid the panic and flames as the Brooklyn Theatre burned around her, Kate became inseparably connected with the disaster. This inferno, along with multiple subsequent blazes that occurred in hotels and theaters where Kate was present, branded her as "Fire Witch" and "Fire Fiend," labels that followed her for the rest of her days.

Over a hundred and fifty years later, Kate's life--and the fire that destroyed Brooklyn's most opulent playhouse--have been almost completely forgotten. But the inferno is an integral part of New York's history, and its heroine was a singular woman whose strength and determination carried her through tragedy and scandal to shine as one of the brightest stars of the late nineteenth century.

Review Quotes

"Gall gives life to Kate Claxton, a thespian in a men's world, a wife and mother, whose life is wrought with tragedies of her own. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Gall's research is unparalleled and her storytelling is wonderful."--Jahongir "Jhon" Usmanov, director of operations, Green-Wood Cemetery

"Deeply researched and beautifully written, Fire Witch tells the story of an ambitious actress whose life came to be defined by a catastrophic, mostly forgotten fire during Brooklyn's Gilded Age."--Esther Crain, founder of Ephemeral New York and author of The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910

"The book is a beautifully told narrative. A real achievement! It has been said that Kate Claxton was the most photographed woman of the nineteenth century, yet her story remains largely unknown in the twenty-first. Melanie Gall's Fire Witch remedies that, beautifully capturing what no photographer's lens could: the soul of the actress whose personal and professional life played out more magnificently than any of the stage melodramas she made famous."--Gregory Gillette, historian, Somerset County, New Jersey

"A story sprung from a late-night tour of the legendary Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, Fire Witch crackles with New York buried histories and joie de vivre. Drawing upon a treasure trove of letters, autobiographies, newspapers, and archival documents, Gall paints a vivid picture of Kate Claxton, the titular 'fire witch'--an actress from a long line of posh American theatre types who famously played one of the two orphans in a widely heralded, long-running theatrical smash hit. Luminous photographs pepper Gall's text and the myriad stories within explode with brightly told details--at one point Kate exchanges a pair of fine new dresses for an apple-selling Irish woman's rags all the better to import authenticity into her blind, down-at-heel character. Like so many women, Kate Claxton has largely been forgotten by history, but Fire Witch brings her back and, along with her, a history of New York theater, the Green-Wood Cemetery itself, and a vibrant cast of characters--some brave and courageous, others cads and ne'er do wells. It's a rich brew which Gall's sparkly prose brings to life, thinning the curtain, as she hints, between past and present."--Brett Ashley Kaplan, professor, Comparative Literature and Jewish Studies

"Melanie Gall celebrates the life of Kate Claxton, who persevered through barriers that would have defeated lesser women. Gall's informative research leads us on a quest to revive the story of this forgotten actor and businesswoman."--Richard Jay Hutto, Gilded Age historian

About the Author

Melanie Gall is a professional musician and music historian with advanced degrees from several academic institutions, including Manhattan School of Music in New York, Mozarteum University in Salzburg, and the Glenn Gould School in Toronto. She is an internationally acclaimed performer and has sung at Lincoln Center and Royal Albert Hall. She has also written several plays featuring historic music, including Ingenue, about Deanna Durbin and Judy Garland, which had a sold-out Off-Broadway run at SoHo Playhouse and won a Best Musical Award at the Adelaide Festival; and Stitch in Time, her cabaret of forgotten knitting music, which has been performed throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Melanie is the author of Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland, and the Golden Age of Hollywood. She divides her time between Ottawa, Canada, and New York City.