A hop, a frock, a hairdo: a hop, a frock, a hairdo: Irene Castle and her female networks of theatrical business

Focusing on American dancer/performer Irene Castle (1893-1969) and following the merchandising strategies and aesthetic and societal impact of her widely discussed short haircut, her costumes, and her dancing school, this article aims at describing and disentangling the tight network of theatrical and popular entertainment, economy, and urbanity in the 1910s. Through an interdisciplinary approach and with a focus on a limited time frame of five years (1910-1915), the author discusses various strands, agents, contact zones and business strategies that are part and parcel of this network. Next to Irene Castle, two female theatre professionals are of particular interest here: costume designer Lady Duff-Gordon (1863-1935) and theatrical agent Elizabeth Marbury (1856-1933). Nic Leonhardt is a theatre and media historian with a special interest in historiography, visual culture, popular culture, and urban history. She is currently associate director and researcher of the DFG research project “Global Theatre Histories” at LMU Munich, Germany, and a lecturer in theatre studies.