Irish Stereotypes in Vaudeville, 1865-1905

Vaudeville is often viewed as the source of some of the crude stereotypes that positioned the Irish immigrant in America as the antithesis of native-born American citizens. Using primary archival material, Mooney argues that the vaudeville stage was an important venue in which an Irish-American identity was constructed, negotiated, and refined.

Jennifer Mooney is an independent scholar working on the history of vaudeville. She received her PhD from the University of Ulster, UK.