Dick Ferris presents The Grace Hayward Co

Grace Hayward (1868 – 1959) was an American playwright and actress.

Early life

Hayward was born in 1868 in

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

and in 1884, she moved to

Mount Carmel, Illinois Mount Carmel is a city in and the county seat of Wabash County, Illinois, United States. At the time of the 2010 census, the population was 7,284, and it is the largest city in the county. The next largest town in Wabash County is Allendale, po ...

. Her father was a mail carrier and travel agent. At 13 years old, she ran away from home so that she could be a part of a medicine show. She raised money for feminists including

Grace Hall Hemingway Grace Ernestine Hall Hemingway ( Hall; June 15, 1872 – June 28, 1951) was an American opera singer, music teacher, and painter. She was Ernest Hemingway's mother. Early life Grace Ernestine Hall was born on June 15, 1872 in Chicago. ...

. She was married to Chicago theater mogul George Gatts.

Career

In 1901, Hayward started her own theater company with 15 actors, known as the Kerosene Circuit. The Kerosene Circuit performed at the Warrington Opera House from 1909 to 1914. The company performed new shows almost every Monday, including

George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...

musicals and comedies that were written by Hayward. The Kerosene Unit usually sold out of the 1,500 seats at the Warrington Opera House. Broadway actor Charles Dingle was a part of the theater company. Beginning around 1913, the company became unsuccessful with some of the actors joining the film industry. The company disbanded in 1920 and Hayward moved to Hollywood as a playwright and radio scriptwriter. Her 1936 play ''The CCC Murder Mystery'' was successful although a ''

Syracuse Post-Standard ''The Post-Standard'' is a newspaper serving the greater Syracuse, New York, metro area. Published by Advance Publications, it and sister website Syracuse.com are among the consumer brands of Advance Media New York, alongside NYUp.com and ''Th ...

'' reviewer stated that "no Broadway audience would appreciate it".

Death and legacy

Hayward died in 1959 in Hollywood. Doug Deuchler wrote a play about Hayward's life in 1990.

Plays

*''The CCC Murder Mystery'' *''Graustark; or, Love Behind a Throne'' *''Lend Me Your Baby'' *''Little Women'' *''Some Girl'' *''Truxton King''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayward, Grace 1868 births 1959 deaths 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses American women dramatists and playwrights People from Terre Haute, Indiana 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights