The American actress and dramatic monologuist Ruth Draper (1884-1956) specialized in character-driven monologues and solo dramas. "The Italian Lesson", "A Church in Italy", "Three Women and Mr. Clifford", and "Doctors and Diets" are among her best known works. Inspired by a close family friend, the Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski who later became Prime Minister of Poland, Ruth Draper chose to become an actress and dominated the field of solo performances. Unlike other solo performers of the time, Draper's monologues and monodramas portrayed original characters instead of those taken from literature. She was admired by such personalities as George Bernard Shaw, Thornton Wilder, Katharine Hepburn, Laurence Olivier, Henry James, Edith Wharton, and Agatha Christie, among others. She even inspired 2 of Agatha Christie's characters. Very good .
Keywords: THEATRE; THEATER; SOLO PERFORMER; RUTH DRAPER; MONOLOGUES; DRAMATIST; MONOLOGUIST; CONTRACT; LETTER; TYPED DOCUMENT SIGNED; SIGNATURE; AUTOGRAPH; JAMES B. POND; THE POND BUREAU; STAGE; TWENTIETH CENTURY; 20TH CENTURY.