Ruth Draper
| Ruth Draper | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 2, 1884 New York City, New York, United States |
| Died | December 30, 1956 (aged 72) New York City, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Stage actress |
Ruth Draper (December 2, 1884 – December 30, 1956) was an American actress, dramatist and noted diseuse [1] who specialized in character-driven monologues.
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[edit] Early life and family
She was born in New York City, the youngest child of Dr. William Henry and Ruth (née Dana) Draper. Her father, who was born in Brattleboro, Vermont,[2][3] had the affluence to support a large family with the help of several servants.[4] Ruth Draper’s mother was the daughter of Charles Anderson Dana, editor and publisher of the New York Sun and had married Dr. Draper in 1878 some years after the loss of his first wife, Lucy.[4][5] Her nephew, Paul Draper, was a noted dancer and actor. Draper's second cousin was the society architect Paul Phipps, father of British actress Joyce Grenfell (Grenfell's career as a monologuist was directly inspired by Draper). Her nephew Raimund Sanders Draper was a heroic WWII pilot.[6][7]
[edit] Career
Ruth Draper's inspiration to become an actress came from pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a friend of her family.[8] She made her Broadway premier in the 1916 play A Lady’s Name by Cyril Harcourt,[9] and by 1921 was becoming well known as monologist, or more specifically diseuse, appearing in monodramas.
With a chair, shawl and occasional table as her only props, Draper entertained audiences in a half dozen languages worldwide for nearly forty years.[8] Her best known pieces include The Italian Lesson, Three Women and Mr. Clifford, Doctors and Diets, and A Church in Italy.
Such theatre legends as George Bernard Shaw, Thornton Wilder, John Gielgud, Katharine Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, Laurence Olivier, and Uta Hagen were among those dazzled by Draper's artistry and talent, as were Henry James, Henry Adams, and Edith Wharton.
In 1951 King George VI of the United Kingdom personally awarded Ruth Draper honorary membership in the Order of the British Empire with the rank of Commander (CBE). Nearly a quarter century earlier she gave a performance at Windsor Castle after an invitation from King George V and Queen Mary.[10]
Draper had many relationships in Italy, in large part through her connection with Lauro De Bosis, a young Italian poet and writer who died in 1931 after a daring flight over Rome during which he threw thousands of leaflets denouncing Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party.
[edit] Death
Ruth Draper died on December 30, 1956, of apparent heart attack,[11] just three days after giving a performance on Broadway at the Playhouse Theatre. Draper's family had a summer home in Islesboro, Maine, which she purchased from her family and where spent increasing amounts of time in her later years.[12] A short biography of Draper is among several collected by the Anglo-Italian writer Iris Origo in her 1984 book, A Need to Testify.
[edit] Recordings
Recordings of Draper's monologues have influenced many contemporary writers and performers, including Lily Tomlin, Mike Nichols, Julie Harris, Simon Callow, Emma Thompson, Charles Busch, David Mamet, Julia Sweeney, and John Lithgow.
[edit] References
- ^ Sir John Gielgud: A Life in Letters By John Gielgud - 2005 pg. 516
- ^ US Passport Application - December 2, 1884
- ^ The Atlanta Constitution April 27, 1901
- ^ a b US Census records 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900
- ^ The Bridgeport Post, December 31, 1956 pg. 16
- ^ Draper, Ruth; Dorothy Warren (1999-11-03). The letters of Ruth Draper: self-portrait of an actress, 1920-1956. SIU Press. ISBN 9780809321889.
- ^ The Spitfire: Britain's Flying past. BBC. 2011-09-22.
- ^ a b The Ottawa Citizen December 31, 1956
- ^ IBDb.com
- ^ The New York Times December 19, 1951 pg. 41
- ^ The New York Times December 31, 1956 pg. 13
- ^ Ruth Draper
[edit] Further reading
- Young, Jordan R. (1989). Acting Solo: The Art of One-Person Shows. Beverly Hills: Past Times Publishing Co.
- Catron, Louis E. (2000). The Power of One: The Solo Play for Playwrights, Actors, and Directors. Portsmouth, N.H: Heinemann.
- Origo, Iris (1984). A Need to Testify. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
[edit] External links
- Ruth Draper images at the NYPL Digital Gallery
- Ruth Draper at the Internet Broadway Database
- Ruth Draper at the Internet Movie Database
- Biography from drapermonoglogues.com
- Legacy from drapermonologues.com
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