Dorsha Hayes
Dorsha Hayes (January 2, 1897 - November 27, 1990), born Doris Bentley, was a stage actress and dancer during the early 20th century. She was born in Galesburg, Illinois. She made her debut appearance in Pierre Loti's Daughter of Heaven in 1912. She continued to perform until suffering a case of rheumatic fever in 1936, and thereafter became a published writer. Her works include the novels Mrs. Heaton's Daughter and Who Walk with the Earth?, and the non-fiction works An American Primer and Chicago, Crossroads of American Enterprise. She died in Manhattan of complications after a stroke, at age 93 years.[1] Anthony Hatch, in his book "Tinder Box," mentions Dorsha Hayes as a young girl visiting Chicago with her family from Galesburg.[2] Among other things, the family was to see "Bluebeard" at the Iroquois Theater, until her mother had a premonition and they skipped the performance. The theater burned down during that performance, killing 605 people. He did not mention the actress in his book, but it is understandable she might have taken her stage name from a local girl who escaped a theater disaster.
References
[edit]- ^ "Dorsha Hayes, 93, Dancer and Writer" (obituary). The New York Times. November 30, 1990. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
- ^ Hatch, Anthony (2003). Tinder Box. Academy Chicago Publishers. ISBN 9780897335140. OCLC 51581409.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 20th-century American actresses
- American stage actresses
- American female dancers
- Dancers from Illinois
- 20th-century American novelists
- American women novelists
- 1897 births
- 1990 deaths
- People from Galesburg, Illinois
- 20th-century American women writers
- American women non-fiction writers
- 20th-century American non-fiction writers
- 20th-century American dancers