Laura Nelson Hall
Encyclopedia
Laura Nelson Hall was an actress in theater and vaudeville
stock companies in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
. Her father was a veteran journalist in the city.
The Two Escutcheons had a long run at the Bijou Theatre
in 1899. Written by Sydney Rosenfeld, the farce
was acted by the Augustin Daly
company with Hall among the players.
Actor Ned Howard Fowler, Hall's husband, committed suicide
in January 1904. Hall and Dr. Starling Wilcox were with him when
he shot himself. Wilcox had been called to attend Fowler, who was exceedingly nervous from overwork. Hall and Fowler were both employed by the Empire Theatre stock company. They had wed after arriving with their troupe in Columbus, Ohio
, where Fowler killed
himself.
Hall was a leading lady
of the Arden Stock Company in Washington, D.C.
before moving on to New Orleans, Louisiana
. There she became prominent, appearing with the Grand Opera House Stock Company. In October 1905 she was the featured actress in a production of A Modern Magdalene. The New Orleans Times-Picayune praised her work in the play, commenting about her role as Katinka, The young and beautiful leading lady
is a most capable actress, and it would be more difficult to imagine a more intelligent interpretation of the role than that given by Miss Hall.
The Coming of Mrs. Patrick opened at the Madison Square Theatre, 24th Street, in November 1907, with Hall in the title role. Mrs. Patrick possesses a joy of living which contrasts with her family whose other members are cantankerous and brooding. An observer noted there are a wholesomeness, a breadth of style and a sympathetic quality in the acting of Miss Hall that make her an ideal selection for this particular role.
Daly's Theatre on Broadway presented Girls in April 1908. Hall was in the original cast but was replace by Bessie Toner
. Hall was in a three-act drama, New York which premiered at the Garrick Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, in September 1910. Produced by William J. Hurlbut, the play was introduced at the Columbia Theater in Washington, D.C., several weeks later.
A 1910 staging of Children of Destiny at the Savoy Theatre, 112 West 34th Street (Manhattan)
, was given a negative review by one critic who called it clumsy. Hall's participation was received in a more positive light. She was credited with conveying an underlying gentleness and sweetness of character. The play was a drama in three acts, another Rosenfeld composition.
The first production of Everywoman by Walter Browne came at the Herald Square
Theatre in February 1911. Hall was in the production together with Patricia Collinge and Wilda Bennett. In November 1916 Hall and company performed a new skit by Frances Nordstrum at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, California
.
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
stock companies in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Biography
She was from Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Her father was a veteran journalist in the city.
The Two Escutcheons had a long run at the Bijou Theatre
Bijou Theatre
Two Broadway theatres have been named the Bijou Theatre.The first was converted into a theatre in 1878 and rebuilt in 1883. It was often called the Bijou Opera House and was located at 1239 Broadway. It was also sometimes called The Brighton Theatre. It became a popular venue for operettas in...
in 1899. Written by Sydney Rosenfeld, the farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
was acted by the Augustin Daly
Augustin Daly
John Augustin Daly was an American theatrical manager and playwright active in both the US and UK.-Biography:Daly was born in Plymouth, North Carolina and educated at Norfolk, Va...
company with Hall among the players.
Actor Ned Howard Fowler, Hall's husband, committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in January 1904. Hall and Dr. Starling Wilcox were with him when
he shot himself. Wilcox had been called to attend Fowler, who was exceedingly nervous from overwork. Hall and Fowler were both employed by the Empire Theatre stock company. They had wed after arriving with their troupe in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, where Fowler killed
himself.
Hall was a leading lady
Leading lady
Leading lady is an informal term for the actress who plays a secondary lead or supporting role, usually a love interest, to the leading actor in a film or play. It is not usually applied to the leading actress in the performance if her character is the protagonist.A leading lady can also be an...
of the Arden Stock Company in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
before moving on to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. There she became prominent, appearing with the Grand Opera House Stock Company. In October 1905 she was the featured actress in a production of A Modern Magdalene. The New Orleans Times-Picayune praised her work in the play, commenting about her role as Katinka, The young and beautiful leading lady
Leading lady
Leading lady is an informal term for the actress who plays a secondary lead or supporting role, usually a love interest, to the leading actor in a film or play. It is not usually applied to the leading actress in the performance if her character is the protagonist.A leading lady can also be an...
is a most capable actress, and it would be more difficult to imagine a more intelligent interpretation of the role than that given by Miss Hall.
The Coming of Mrs. Patrick opened at the Madison Square Theatre, 24th Street, in November 1907, with Hall in the title role. Mrs. Patrick possesses a joy of living which contrasts with her family whose other members are cantankerous and brooding. An observer noted there are a wholesomeness, a breadth of style and a sympathetic quality in the acting of Miss Hall that make her an ideal selection for this particular role.
Daly's Theatre on Broadway presented Girls in April 1908. Hall was in the original cast but was replace by Bessie Toner
Bessie Toner
-Theater:Toner was married to actor Harry Childs by 1904. They were in the play The Sign of the Cross which toured beginning in the fall of1904....
. Hall was in a three-act drama, New York which premiered at the Garrick Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, in September 1910. Produced by William J. Hurlbut, the play was introduced at the Columbia Theater in Washington, D.C., several weeks later.
A 1910 staging of Children of Destiny at the Savoy Theatre, 112 West 34th Street (Manhattan)
34th Street (Manhattan)
34th Street is a major cross-town street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Like many of New York City's major crosstown streets, it has its own bus routes and four subway stops serving the trains at Eighth Avenue, the trains at...
, was given a negative review by one critic who called it clumsy. Hall's participation was received in a more positive light. She was credited with conveying an underlying gentleness and sweetness of character. The play was a drama in three acts, another Rosenfeld composition.
The first production of Everywoman by Walter Browne came at the Herald Square
Herald Square
Herald Square is formed by the intersection of Broadway, Sixth Avenue and 34th Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Named for the New York Herald, a now-defunct newspaper formerly headquartered there, it also gives its name to the surrounding area...
Theatre in February 1911. Hall was in the production together with Patricia Collinge and Wilda Bennett. In November 1916 Hall and company performed a new skit by Frances Nordstrum at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Movies
Hall was in two motion pictures. They were most likely produced in or around New York where the film industry was still centered and near stage actors. They are Dope (1914) and The Stubbornness of Geraldine (1915).External links
- Laura Nelson Hall at IBDb.com
- Laura Nelson Hall at IMDb.com
- Laura Nelson Hall portraits at NY Public Library
- Laura's film The Dope synopsis&status at silentera.com text indicates this film was shot at the Thanhouser studios at New Rochelle, New York