Isabel Irving

{{Infobox person | name = | image = Isabel Irving 001.jpg | caption = Isabel Irving, ca. 1907 | birth_date = {{birth date|1871|2|28}} | birth_place = Bridgeport, Connecticut | death_date = {{dda|1944|9|1|1871|2|28}} | death_place = Nantucket, Massachusetts | years_active = 1887–1936 | spouse = William H. Thompson (1899 – 1923) }} '''Isabel Irving''' (February 28, 1871 –September 1, 1944) was an American stage actress. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, she was educated in schools in New York City where she made her professional debut on Broadway at the Standard Theatre in 1886. From 1888-1893 she was a member of Augustin Daly's theatre troupe with whom she appeared in several productions on Broadway and on tour. With Daly's company she made her London debut at the Lyceum Theatre in 1890 as Daisy in ''Nancy and Company''. After this she worked for Daniel Frohman for three years. She maintained a busy career until her retirement in 1936.

==Life== thumb|Isabel Irving, a 1907 photograph Isabel Irving was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut on February 28, 1871 to Charles Washington and Isabella Irving.<ref name=":0">Leonard, John William (1914). [https://books.google.com/books?id=34hmAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA423 ''Woman's Who's Who of America: a Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada'', American Commonwealth Company, pg. 423.] {{ISBN|0810340186}}</ref> She was educated in schools in New York City.<ref name="EARLY"/> She made her professional stage debut in New York as Gwendoline in Arthur Wing Pinero's ''The Schoolmistress'' at the Standard Theatre on December 7, 1886.<ref name="obitnyt"/><ref name="EARLY"/> The show was mounted by Rosina Vokes,<ref name="Plans"/> and she remained a member of Voke's theatre troupe for next year and a half.<ref name="EARLY">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-illustrated-sporting-and-dramatic-ne/197202173/|title=Miss Isabel Irving|work=The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News|date= November 7, 1891| page= 18}}</ref>

After this Irving joined Augustin Daly's theatre troupe for the 1888-1889 season; making her debut with his company as the waiting maid Dobbin in ''Popping the Question''.<ref name="EARLY"/> Her other early role with the company was that of Oberon in William Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''.<ref name="EARLY"/> In 1890 she made her debut on the London stage with Daly's company as Daisy in ''Nancy and Co.'' at the Lyceum Theatre.<ref name="obitnyt">{{Cite news|last=|first=|title=ISABEL IRVIN6, 3, ACTRESS 50 Years; Star in Companies of Vokes, Daly and Frohman Dies-Played Opposite Drew|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1944/09/02/88608574.html?pageNumber=11|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-21|newspaper=The New York Times|language=en|date=September 2, 1944|page=11}}</ref>

Irving continued as a member of Daly's company through 1893; portraying parts in ''Needles and Pins'' (as Caroline),{{sfn|Brown|1903|page=559}} ''The Arabian Nights'' (as Daisy Maitland),<ref name="Plans"/> ''An International Match'' (as Jenny),{{sfn|Brown|1903|page=560}} ''The Great Unknown'' (as Pansy),<ref name="Plans">{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1894/03/24/106900790.html?pageNumber=5|title=Isabel Irving's Plans; The Young Actress to be a Member of Mr. Frohman's Company.|work=The New York Times|date= March 24, 1894|page= 5}}</ref> ''As You Like It'' (as Audrey),<ref name="Plans"/> ''The Hunchback'' (as Helen),<ref name="Plans"/> ''The Last Word'' (as Faith Rutherell),{{sfn|Brown|1903|page=567}}''The Prodigal Son'',<ref name="obitnyt"/> ''A Priceless Paragon'' (as Susette),{{sfn|Brown|1903|page=564}} ''The Critic'',<ref name="Plans"/> ''Love's Labor Lost'' (as Katherine),{{sfn|Brown|1903|page=568}} ''The Cabinet Minister'' (as Imogene),{{sfn|Brown|1903|page=569}} ''The Lottery of Love'',<ref name="Plans"/> ''Dollars and Sense'' (as Salina),{{sfn|Brown|1903|page=571}} and ''A Night Off''.<ref name="obitnyt"/>

In 1894 Irving signed a three year contract as with Daniel Frohman, the manager of the Lyceum Theatre in New York, to appear with his theatre company a leading actress.<ref name="Plans"/> Until that time she had played the ingenue and other supporting roles.<ref name="Plans"/> In 1897 she starred opposite John Drew Jr. in Sydney Grundy's ''A Marriage of Convenience'' at the Empire Theatre.<ref name="obitnyt"/> In 1899, after a secret engagement, Irving married the actor William H. Thompson who died in 1923.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1899/10/20/100456475.html?pageNumber=7|title=MISS ISABEL IRVING WEDS.; Ceremony performed in New Jersey Unltes the Actress to Thompson, the Actor.|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-21|date=October 20, 1899|newspaper=The New York Times|page=7}}</ref> In 1900 she performed at Hoyt's Theatre in the title role in Alfred Capus's ''The Husbands of Leontine'' and as Josephine Furet in ''Self and Lady''.{{sfn|Brown|1903|page=443}} In 1901 she succeeded Blanche Bates as Cigarette in the Broadway production of ''Under Two Flags''.<ref name="obitnyt"/>

Irving starred in the 1905 Broadway revival of ''She Stoops to Conquer''.<ref name="obitnyt"/> In 1907 ''The'' ''Morning Oregonian'' called her a "a charming actress and comedienne" in reviewing her performance during her national tour in ''Susan In Search of a Husband''.<ref>{{Cite news|page=14|date=February 2, 1907|title=Isabel Irving in Comedy ''Susan In Search of a Husband''|url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1907-02-02/ed-1/seq-14/|newspaper=The Morning Oregonian}}</ref> In 1911 she toured with Kyrle Bellew in ''The Mollusc''.<ref name="obitnyt"/> In 1928 she portrayed Mrs. Henry van der Luyden in Margaret Ayer Barnes's ''The Age of Innocence'' which was adapted from the novel by Edith Wharton.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1928/11/28/archives/the-play.html|first=J. Brooks|last= Atkinson|work=The New York Times|date=November 28, 1928|page=A33|title=The Play}}</ref>

She retired from her long career in theater in 1936 after completing her final tour in ''Three Wise Fools.'' She died in 1944 in Nantucket at 73.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="obitnyt"/>

== Gallery == {{Gallery | title = Photographs of Isabel Irving | align = | footer = | style = | state = | height = | width = 20cm | captionstyle = | File: Isabel Irving, stage actress (SAYRE 4648).jpg | 1907 photograph | alt1= | File: Portrait of Isabel Irving.jpg | Photograph, ca. 1890/ca. 1900 | alt2= | File: Isabel Irving, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes MET DP831685.jpg | Photograph, ca. 1888 | alt3= | File: Isabel Irving, stage actress (SAYRE 4384).jpg | 1913 photograph | alt4= | File:Isabel_Irving_(SAYRE_11111).jpg |1904 photograph | alt5= }}

== References == ===Citations=== {{Reflist}} ===Bibliography=== *{{cite book|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_History_of_the_New_York_Stage_from_the/XTamwC54BNoC?hl=en&gbpv=0|title= A History of the New York Stage from the First Performance in 1732 to 1901|volume=II|first=Thomas Allston|last= Brown|year= 1903|publisher=Dodd, Mead & Co.}} == External links == {{Commons category}} * {{IBDB name}} * [https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/search/index?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=isabel+irving Isabel Irving] photo gallery at the [https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/ NYP Library] * [http://www.nha.org/digitalexhibits/sconset02564/timeline/actorscolony.html Actors Colony of Siasconset] from the Nantucket Historical Association Digital Exhibition 'Sconset 02564

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irving, Isabel}} Category:1871 births Category:1944 deaths Category:Actresses from Bridgeport, Connecticut Category:19th-century American actresses Category:American stage actresses Category:20th-century American actresses