Beverley Sitgreaves

Beverley Sitgreaves was a writer in the newspaper press of New York City, USA, and a stage actress in the company of Richard Mansfield.

Broadway Actress

Mansfield's "Beau Brummel" was staged at the Madison Square Theatre in May 1890, a play in four acts subdivided into six scenes. The plot held little intrigue for audiences which crowded the venue dressed fashionably. Sitgreaves was complimented by a critic for her presentation of a woman whodresses stylishly. ["Amusements", New York Times, May 20, 1890, pg. 4.]

In March 1900 she was in "A Broken Halo", a play produced by the Globe Theatre in London, England. Earlier she acted in the company of Sarah Bernhardt in Paris, France."Notes Of The Foreign Stage", New York Times, Sunday, March 11, 1900, pg. 10.] The troupe performed at the Renaissance Theatre in July 1897. ["Topics Of The Times", New York Times, July 21, 1897, pg. 4.]

Sitgreaves was to have been the leading lady in "The First Visit", an English version of "Une Visite de Noces", by Alexandre Dumas, fils. Howeverthe English Censor of Plays prevented the Garrick Theatre from producing the play in June 1901. ["Censor Bars a Dumas Play", New York Times, Saturday, June 8, 1901, pg. 9.]

"The Heir to the Hoorah" was presented for the 100th consecutive time in July 1905, with Sitgreaves acting the part of "Kate Brandon". The Hudson Theatre on Broadway, 141 West 44th Street, staged the play. ["Plays That Hold", New York Times, July 2, 1905, pg. X4.] In September 1905 the Princess Theatre was managed by Lee Shubert, Samuel S. Shubert, and Jacob J. Shubert. Located on39th Street near 6th Avenue, the theatre staged "Zira" by Hartley Manners and Henry Miller, the stage manager. Margaret Anglin actedthe leading part with Sitgreaves among the supporting cast. ["This Year's Plays and Players", New York Times, September 10, 1905, pg. TS2.]

Sitgreaves and Bernhardt were both patrons of the new French Theatre which was planned for the Broadway (Manhattan) and Times Squarearea. It was designed to seat 300 people and had an opening date scheduled for November 1, 1913, the first day of the theatrical season. Aside from Sitgreaves all members of the theatre company were from the Paris Conservatoire. Bernhardt was playing in New York at the time and sent a letter to Sitgreaves expressing support when she was solicited for assistance. ["Theatre Francais For New York", New York Times, May 8, 1913, pg. 11.]

"$2,000 a Night" written by Leo Ditrichstein, Frederic Hatton, and Fannie Hatton, was Ditrichstein's first effort when he was managed by Cohan & Harris. As an actor he was supported by Sitgreaves, Virginia Fox Brooks, and Isabel Irving. The theatrical opened in Syracuse, New York and moved to New York City later. ["Mr. Ditrichstein's Play", New York Times, October 3, 1915, pg. 91.]

The New York Play Actors took over the Adolph Phillip Theatre in the autumn of 1914. It was remodeled and redecorated before it was renamed the Bandbox Theatre. The Bandbox was located at 37 West Fordham Road, (west of Davidson Avenue) in the Bronx, New York. ["The New York City Organ Project, http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:hOtYbwUMLUgJ:www.nycago.org/Organs/Brx/index.html+bandbox+theatre+new+york+city&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us.] It reopened on December 24, 1924 with a production of the comedy, "Poor Little Thing", by Jules Le Maitre. It was translated from the French original by Jerome K. Jerome. Sitgreaves was among the stage players along with Janet Dunbar and William Raymond."In The Mail Bag", New York Times, December 28, 1924, pg. X2.]

"Help Wanted-Female" by Gladys Unger was staged by Winchell Smith in 1926. Sitgreaves, Nydia Westman, Grace Menken and Wallace Ford wereactors in the cast. ["What News On the Rialto?", New York Times, June 27, 1926, pg. X1.]

Philanthropist

Sitgreaves participated in a benefit at the Waldorf-Astoria to raise money for an annex of the Loomis Sanitorium for Consumptives at Liberty (village), New York. She entertained by giving impersonations of Bernhardt and Eleanor Duse. ["What Is Doing In Society", New York Times, March 20, 1903, pg. 9.] She made an appearance for the British War Relief Association at the Lyceum Theatre (New York) in November 1914. She was featured in the melodrama, "Gruesome Grange", together with Anthony Hope and Frank Kemble Cooper. ["Matinee For War Relief", New York Times, October 31, 1914, pg. 11.] In February 1923 she provided impersonations of Duse and Bernhardt in a benefit called "a vaudeville soiree de gala" at the Booth Theatre. It assisted the Girls Service Club at 138 East Nineteenth Street in New York City. Sitgreaves did Duse from "Francesca di Rimini" and Bernhardt's "To be or not to be" from Hamlet."Gala Vaudeville Aids Girls Service Club", February 12, 1923, pg. 13.] The Institute of the Woman's Theatre gave a benefit performance at the Klaw Theatre, 251 West 45th Street, ["CBS Radio Playhouse No. 2, http://www.ibdb.com/venue.aspx?id=1222.] New York City, on October 31, 1926. Sitgreaves contributed to the event which was organized by Florence Reed, star of "The Shanghai Gesture".

References