Less of ‘ess

Published Friday 22 August 2008 at 17:45

Further to Patrick Newley’s column (August 14, page 52), in these egalitarian days, it is no longer appropriate to call a female actor ‘actress’ and it needs to go into room 101.

We are actors, as we are dancers and singers - when was the last time songstress was used?

For some time now, my friends in The Spotlight office are aware that I think they are behind the times and need to change the titles of their casting directories to male actor and female actor.

Interesting to note, isn’t it, that the actors’ union Equity, Actors’ Benevolent Fund, Actors’ Club, etc, never have actress included in the title?

Looking at name changes from another perspective, when male nurses came about, why wasn’t nurse changed to nurster, or something?

As it is no longer befitting to call firefighters, firemen or camera operators, cameramen, it is now high time to call for less of ‘ess!

Talking of lunatics changing names, does Mr Newley know who thought up the name actress?

The Oxford English Dictionary states that originally ‘actor’ was used for both sexes. Historically, acting was a man’s profession until women began to appear on the stage in 1660. The first emergence of the term ‘actress’ appeared in the OED linked to the poet John Dryden in 1700.

Mr Newley’s suggestion to throw bricks at name-changing offenders chained to a wall outside the National Theatre rather echoes the intransigents back in Emily Pankhurst’s day. He needs to move on and get with it!

Teri Scoble

Choreographeress, danceress and actor

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