october american theater director actress drama company manager encouraged mother sang performed theater young age went famous leading lady performances broadway later director managing stock companies directing broadway productions training young performers went famous actors founded theater detroit reorganized america civic theaters methods influenced community theater projects described pioneering women stage directors early twentieth century early life born helen father farm near town greece new_york youngest children exact date birth unknown kept secret november originally named later life changed according legend seeing like theater mother wanted actress home reading writing singing dancing reciting shakespeare public performance singing songs church age years helen gave daughter passion acting taking theaters nearby rochester age auditioned critic encouragement left tour production melodrama returning home california briefly studied convent school rochester returned stage working local opera house owner touring productions career death parents went new_york_city joined company toured season worked chorus member company season left exhausted married actor years older leading man happily married worked philadelphia years moving rochester played roles established leading lady leading lady philadelphia season stuart died performed productions broadway including lady oklahoma produced acting received mixed poor reception new_york_times critics according lacked creative depth playing produced performance united_states second english later received letter thanked performing work career manager director began offered management stock company rochester company stock company based included prominent actors future stars spent years managing directing acting appeared time time philadelphia toured canada occasionally directed new_york associated harlem said dedication partly inspired death realizing theater lasting managed stock companies buffalo detroit moving weekly cities usually plays recently successful broadway saw immoral popular production directed adaptation little women researched play traveling boston view personal papers provided family talking friends production toured nationally companies performing different places time successful lengthy run broadway performed london world war director massachusetts sold stake company founded detroit opened january backed syndicate led patron bought avenue commissioned carried producing broadway style plays company perform classics including modern dress productions romeo juliet hamlet performances february began campaign gain community support theater fund raised donations public agreement local authorities city unofficial premier theater later year group known plan theater emphasized importance providing public best drama including classics modern works improving young people knowledge dramatic literature funded public subscription ticket prices low performances included works shakespeare theater played religious role effort improve understanding operation church theater holding multi religious services lent stated plays avoiding intended positive moral influence audience local clergy publicly praised work theater june went hollywood possible reasons include desire direct films found acting school explore possibility new stock company returned detroit falling ill learning cancer began campaign open adversely affected great depression seriously ill aided secretary continued campaign run theater death october suffered heart attack home relatives detroit october body lay state theater new_york_times reported thousand people went memorial service held thousands attended mayor spoke buried rochester husband character passionate work ran rehearsals kept control direction productions directing willing help actors struggling respected passion drive reception legacy wide reputation according industry theater famous broadway critics rate directing highly detroit drama critics praised greatly plays poorly reviewed critics fact friends employees america civic theaters uniquely 1920s profitable closed year death rise movie industry depression bought premises use theater department renamed memory approach gained nationwide attention interviewed authorities cities wanted information plan theater influenced future known spotting talent young actors skilled developing talent trained actors actresses later known including
Jessie Bonstelle