Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/333

This page needs to be proofread.

DREW


DREW


George C. Boniface, Edwin Adams and May Dev- lin. In the fall of 1857 he joined the stock com- pany of Mrs. D. P. Bowers at the Walnut street theatre, and in 1858 made a professional tour to California. He went to Australia in 1859 and re- mained abroad until 1863, when he retm-ned to Philadelphia and on January 13 began an en- gagement at the Arch street theatre under his wife's management. His especially successful cliaracters were Mark Meddle in London Assur- ance; Goldfinch in The Boad to Ruin; Flutter in Tlic Belle's Stratagem; and Tim in The Emigrant. He made his last appearance on May 9, and died in Philadelphia, Pa., May 21, 1862.

DREW, John, actor, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 13, 1853; son of John and Louisa (Lane) Drew. He was educated by private tutors and at the Episcopal academy, Philadel- phia. He made his first appearance on the stage, March 23, 1873, in the Arch street theatre, Phil- adelphia, as Plumper in " Cool as a Cucumber." He afterward took minor parts in several plays and in 1871 appeared in "Woman of the Day." His success in this won him an engagement with Augustin Daly's company and on Feb. 17, 1875, he appeared in the Fifth avenue theatre, Ne'sv York, as Bob Ruggles to Fanny Davenj)ort's Eugenia in " The Big Bonanza." After that he appeared in " Pique," and other light comedies. In 1876 he was engaged by Edwin Booth for his series of Shakespearian plays in the Fifth avenue theatre, taking the parts of Rosencrantz in "Ham- let," France in "King Lear, " and other minor roles. In 1877-78 he supported Fanny Davenport, and in 1878-79 was engaged, in Frederick Warde and Maurice Barrymore's compa'ny, playing Henry Beauclair in " Diplomacy." On the com- pletion of Augustin Daly's theatre, Mr. Drew appeared Sept. 17, 1879, and became leading man April 10, 1880, as Clyde Monogramein "The Way we Live." He remained as leading man in Au- gustin Daly's stock company for thirteen years, creating more than forty roles. He made his first appearance as a star in the fall of 1892. playing Dr. Paul Blondet in "The Masked Ball," and Frede- rick Ossian in " The Butterflies." He appeared in "The Bauble Shop," 1894 ; " Rosemary," 1894-95; " The Squire of Dames," 1895-96 ; " The Marriage of Convenience." 1896-97 : " One Summer's Day," 1897; "The Liars," 1898-99; "Tlie Tyranny of Tears," 1899; "Richard Carvel,'" 1900-01; "The Mummy and the Humming-Bird," 1902-03 ; " Cap- tain Dieppe," 1903-04. He married, in 1881, Jose- pliine Baker, a niece of Joseph Jefferson, the actor.

DREW, Louisa Lane, actress, was born in London. England, Jan. 10, 1820. Her parents were both actors, her mother, Mrs. Eliza Ken- lock, being a popular English actress. She was trained from babyhood to follow the stage, and in


1826 appeared at Liverpool as Agib in " Timour the Tartar." She was brought to America by her mother in 1827 and on September 26 of that year made her American debut at the Walnut street theatre, Philadelphia, Pa., as Duke of York to the Richard of Junius Brutus Booth. She then jjlayed vari-


'%


i%


•sP^n


as a juvenile star until


ous child parts in New York, Boston, Baltimore and Phila- delphia. In January, 1829, she began an engagement at the Walnut street thea- tre, Philadelphia, in "Twelve Precisely, or a Night at Dover," written especially for her and in which she performed five char- acters, ranging from a child of five to a lady of thirty-one. She then travelled 1833 when she became a member of the Bowery theatre stock company in New York. In 1836 she was married in New Orleans, to Henry Hunt, an English opera singer. In June, 1838, she accepted an engagement as leading juvenile lady at the Walnut street theatre, Philadelphia, and in September, 1839, acted Julie de Mortemar in the original American production of " Riche- lieu," Edwin Forrest taking the title role. She afterward played with Forrest in the characters of Ophelia, Desdemona, Pauline, and others, and was also leading lady to Junius Brutus Booth and Macready. In 1841-42 she acted_ in Philadel- phia with John Sleeper Clarke, Edwin Booth, Joseph Jefferson and otliers. In 1842 slie re- turned to New York and played in the old Park theatre in "Blanch Heriot; or, the Chertsey Curfew." In 1847 she was separated from Mr. Hunt, and soon afterward was married to George Mossop, the Irish comedian, who died shortly afterward. In 1850 she joined a stock company in Albany, N.Y., of which Mr. John Drew was a member, and on July 27 of that year was married to Mr. Drew. They played together for many 3'ears. Mr. Drew leased the Arch street theatre, Philadelphia, in 1853, and there Mrs. Drew played Constance in "The Love Chase," Beatrice in "Much Ado About Nothing," Mrs. Oakley in " The Jealous Wife," and many other parts. After her husband's death in 1862, Mrs. Drew leased the Arch street theatre and continued to manage the house for thirty -one years with marked success. She then played Mrs. Mala- prop in Joseph Jefferson's production of " The Rivals." and for one season went with Julia Mar-