Anne Preston Bridgers (May 1, 1891 - May 3, 1967) was an American
playwright, actress, and teacher.Born in Raleigh, North Carolina,
Bridgers was the daughter of Robert Rufus Bridgers, Jr., and Annie
Preston Cain. She grew up in Adrian, Georgia. She attended Mary
Baldwin Seminary in Staunton, Virginia, and Smith College in
Northampton, Massachusetts. She received a bachelor of arts degree
from Smith in 1915.After graduating from Smith College, Bridgers
became a public school teacher and part of the Selective Service
Bureau. She later opened her own gift shop and also became the
president of the Raleigh Community Players. She sold her gift shop in
1923 and then moved to New York where she attended drama school. For a
while after 1923, she gained success as a theater actress as
understudy to Lynn Fontanne on Broadway in Dulcy. Her next two
successful roles were in the plays Fall Guy and Broadway. The first
play she wrote was Norma, then Coquette, which was made into a 1929
film Coquette. The Theatre Club awarded the play Coquette as "the most
pleasing play of 1927â€"28". After leaving Broadway, she moved back to
Raleigh in 1933 after traveling around Europe. She was a member of the
board of the Literary and Historical Association, an editor of the
Survey of Federal Records, wrote for the Raleigh Times, and wrote for
the News and Observer. She helped form the Raleigh Little
Theatre.Bridgers died on May 3, 1967 and was buried at Oakdale
Cemetery, Wilmington.
playwright, actress, and teacher.Born in Raleigh, North Carolina,
Bridgers was the daughter of Robert Rufus Bridgers, Jr., and Annie
Preston Cain. She grew up in Adrian, Georgia. She attended Mary
Baldwin Seminary in Staunton, Virginia, and Smith College in
Northampton, Massachusetts. She received a bachelor of arts degree
from Smith in 1915.After graduating from Smith College, Bridgers
became a public school teacher and part of the Selective Service
Bureau. She later opened her own gift shop and also became the
president of the Raleigh Community Players. She sold her gift shop in
1923 and then moved to New York where she attended drama school. For a
while after 1923, she gained success as a theater actress as
understudy to Lynn Fontanne on Broadway in Dulcy. Her next two
successful roles were in the plays Fall Guy and Broadway. The first
play she wrote was Norma, then Coquette, which was made into a 1929
film Coquette. The Theatre Club awarded the play Coquette as "the most
pleasing play of 1927â€"28". After leaving Broadway, she moved back to
Raleigh in 1933 after traveling around Europe. She was a member of the
board of the Literary and Historical Association, an editor of the
Survey of Federal Records, wrote for the Raleigh Times, and wrote for
the News and Observer. She helped form the Raleigh Little
Theatre.Bridgers died on May 3, 1967 and was buried at Oakdale
Cemetery, Wilmington.
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