Career
She is considered one of the first English actresses. She was the first to portray Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, and other female roles in The Tempest, Hamlet (as Ophelia), Measure for Measure, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, King Lear. In Shakespeare"s day, female roles were played by teenage boys, as women and young girls were not allowed on the stage.
By the 1660s, however, the laws in England had changed, allowing females to act professionally.
Saunderson had a reputation for virtue. Colley Cibber described her as leading "an unblemish"d and sober life".
One of her earliest roles was in The Siege of Rhodes, taking over the role of Ianthe in place of a Mistress Edward Coleman, whom many agreed had done very poorly in the role.
Acting under the direction of William Davenant, Mary did very well, even to the point that she was frequently called Ianthe for the rest of her life.
Her final appearance was in John Dryden"s last play, Love Triumphant, where she played the leading female role.