E. H. Sothern
Encyclopedia
Edward Hugh Sothern was an American
actor
who specialized in dashing, romantic leading roles and particularly in Shakespeare roles.
, the son of English actor E. A. Sothern and his wife Frances Emily "Fannie" Stewart (d. 1882). Sothern was educated in England at St Marylebone Grammar School
. His brothers and sister all became actors: Lytton Edward Sothern (1851–1887); George Evelyn Augustus T. Sothern (1864–1920), who used the stage name Sam Sothern; and Eva Mary Sothern.
in 1862 for his father, and in which his father played the lead. After playing in Boston and touring in the U.S., he sailed for England, making his London debut in 1881 on a double bill as Mr. Sharpe in False Colours and Marshley Bittern in Out of the Hunt. The next year, he played Arthur Spoonbill in Fourteen Days and then toured in Britain with Charles Wyndham
's company.
In 1883, he returned to the U.S. and toured first with John Edward McCullough
and then Helen Barry. Back in New York, in 1884, he played Eliphaz Tresham in The Fatal Letter, Melchizidec Flighty in Whose Are They?, which he wrote himself, and in Nita's First. The next year, he was Alfred Vane in Favette, Knolly in Mona, John in In Chancery and Jules in A Moral Climate. He was hired by Charles
and Daniel Frohman
in the stock company
of the old Lyceum Theatre
in New York, where he starred as a leading man for the next twelve years. He made a hit as the lovesick auctioneer in the romantic comedy The Highest Bidder (1887). He was especially known for his heroic portrayal of Rudolph Rassendyl in the first stage adaptation of The Prisoner of Zenda
, by Anthony Hope
, which he first played in 1895. The role made him a star. In 1896, Sothern married actress Virginia Harned
.
After he left the Lyceum, he continued in romantic roles in New York. In 1899, he played d'Artagnan in The King's Musketeers, and in 1900 he played Heinrich in The Sunken Bell and Sir Geoffrey Bloomfield in Drifting Apart. For several years, Sothern dreamed of mounting a spectacular and precise production of Hamlet
. He finally opened the play in New York in 1900, but during the first week, he was stabbed in the foot by Laertes' sword and was stricken with blood poisoning, closing the production. After he recovered, he revived the piece on tour, but the sets and cosumes were destroyed by a fire in Cincinnati, Ohio
. 1n 1901, he played the title role in Richard Lovelace and then Francois Villon
in If I Were King. In 1903, he played the title role in Markheim and Robert, the King of Sicily, in The Proud Prince, after which he toured again.
, beginning with their appearances as the title roles in Romeo and Juliet
, Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing
, and the leads in Hamlet. They toured all over the U.S. in these plays, adding The Taming of the Shrew
, The Merchant of Venice
and Twelfth Night to their repertoire in 1905. Unhappy with their compensation from their manager, Charles Frohman
, they continued under the management of the Shubert Brothers, from then on receiving a percentage of the profits. In 1906, together with Marlowe, he played the Duc d'Alençon in Percy MacKaye's Jeanne d'Arc, the title role in Sudermann's John the Baptist and Heinrich in The Sunken Bell, receiving favorable reviews: "He plays the idealist thoughtfully and intelligently.... He plays it with a fire and enthusiasm that approach closely to genius." By this time, Marlowe and Sothern were known as the premier Shakespearean actors in their day. Sothern was particularly admired as Benedick and Malvolio.
After another season in New York and then on tour, Sothern, Marlowe and their company crossed the Atlantic to play in London. They were unable to attract audiences in England, however, and returned to America after a season. Back in the U.S., they presented Shakespeare at affordable prices at the Academy of Music
in New York, allowing audiences to see the performances who had not previously been able to afford their productions. Marlowe and Sothern dissolved their company and formed separate companies for a time. Sothern played Raskolnikov in Laurence Irving
's adaptation of Crime and Punishment
, entitled The Fool Hath Said in His Heart. He also starred in Hamlet and If I were King, as well as playing Lord Dundreary
, his father's famous role, in Our American Cousin
. Also in 1908, he played the title role in Paul Kester
's adaptation of Don Quixote that was written especially for him. In 1909, he played the title role in Richelieu.
At the end of 1909, Sothern and Marlowe reunited in Antony and Cleopatra
at the New Theatre
in New York under the direction of Louis Calvert
. In 1910 they toured in Macbeth
, receiving enthusiastic notices and bringing the production to New York, where it was a hit. They then continued to tour their Shakespearean repertoire, also playing special performances of the plays for children at schools. Sothern divorced Harned to marry Marlowe in 1911. In 1914, Sothern played the title character in Charlemagne, and the next year he played Jeffery Panton in The Two Virtues and Dundreary in Lord Dundreary. In 1916, he was the title character in David Garrick
. Sothern appeared in several early films, including The Chattel (1916) and The Man of Mystery (1917). He also wrote about a dozen plays that he appeared in, although most of them are lost.
After more touring with Marlowe in Shakespeare, the two brought their production of The Merchant of Venice
to New York in 1921. Soon afterwards, Marlowe's health was failing, and she retired in 1924, although she lived until 1950. In 1925, Sothern played Edmund de Verron in Accused, and in 1926, he played Tiburtius in What Never Dies. In 1928, he began to lecture about Shakespeare on successful speaking tours, continuing on the lecture circuit until his death in 1933.
He died in New York City
of pneumonia in 1933 at the age of 73 and was cremated.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who specialized in dashing, romantic leading roles and particularly in Shakespeare roles.
Biography
Sothern was born in New Orleans, LouisianaNew 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...
, the son of English actor E. A. Sothern and his wife Frances Emily "Fannie" Stewart (d. 1882). Sothern was educated in England at St Marylebone Grammar School
St Marylebone Grammar School
St Marylebone Grammar School was a grammar school in London from 1792 to 1981.-Philological School:Founded as the Philological School by Thomas Collingwood, under the patronage of the Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, its object was to help "the heads of families, who by unexpected...
. His brothers and sister all became actors: Lytton Edward Sothern (1851–1887); George Evelyn Augustus T. Sothern (1864–1920), who used the stage name Sam Sothern; and Eva Mary Sothern.
Early career and Lyceum years
Sothern's father had encouraged pursuits other than the stage, but Sothern had already caught the acting bug. His first professional acting appearance was in 1879 as the cabman in an American revival of Brother Sam, a show written by John OxenfordJohn Oxenford
John Oxenford , English dramatist, was born at Camberwell, London, England.-Life:He began his literary career by writing on finance...
in 1862 for his father, and in which his father played the lead. After playing in Boston and touring in the U.S., he sailed for England, making his London debut in 1881 on a double bill as Mr. Sharpe in False Colours and Marshley Bittern in Out of the Hunt. The next year, he played Arthur Spoonbill in Fourteen Days and then toured in Britain with Charles Wyndham
Charles Wyndham
Sir Charles Wyndham was an English actor-manager, born as Charles Culverwell in Liverpool, the son of a doctor. He was educated abroad, at King's College London and at the College of Surgeons and the Peter Street Anatomical School, Dublin...
's company.
In 1883, he returned to the U.S. and toured first with John Edward McCullough
John Edward McCullough
John Edward McCullough was an American actor.He was born in Coleraine, Ireland. He went to America at the age of sixteen, and made his first appearance on the stage at the Arch Street Theatre, Philadelphia, in 1857...
and then Helen Barry. Back in New York, in 1884, he played Eliphaz Tresham in The Fatal Letter, Melchizidec Flighty in Whose Are They?, which he wrote himself, and in Nita's First. The next year, he was Alfred Vane in Favette, Knolly in Mona, John in In Chancery and Jules in A Moral Climate. He was hired by Charles
Charles Frohman
Charles Frohman was an American theatrical producer. Frohman was producing plays by 1889 and acquired his first Broadway theatre by 1892. He discovered and promoted many stars of the American theatre....
and Daniel Frohman
Daniel Frohman
Daniel Frohman was a Jewish American theatrical producer and manager, and an early film producer.Frohman was born in Sandusky, Ohio...
in the stock company
Stock company
Stock company can refer to:*Joint stock company *Stock company - referring to a group of actors...
of the old Lyceum Theatre
Lyceum Theatre (New York, 1885-1902)
The Lyceum Theatre operated on Manhattan’s Fourth Avenue between 23rd and 24th Streets, from 1885 to 1902, when it was torn down to make way for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower and replaced by the Lyceum Theatre on 45th Street...
in New York, where he starred as a leading man for the next twelve years. He made a hit as the lovesick auctioneer in the romantic comedy The Highest Bidder (1887). He was especially known for his heroic portrayal of Rudolph Rassendyl in the first stage adaptation of The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda is an adventure novel by Anthony Hope, published in 1894. The king of the fictional country of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus unable to attend his own coronation. Political forces are such that in order for the king to retain his crown his...
, by Anthony Hope
Anthony Hope
Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope , was an English novelist and playwright. Although he was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels, he is remembered best for only two books: The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau...
, which he first played in 1895. The role made him a star. In 1896, Sothern married actress Virginia Harned
Virginia Harned
Virginia Harned , born Virginia Hicks, was a noted American stage actress at the turn of the 20th century. She is mainly remembered for playing the title character in the 1895 Broadway premiere of the play Trilby based on George Du Maurier's novel of the same name...
.
After he left the Lyceum, he continued in romantic roles in New York. In 1899, he played d'Artagnan in The King's Musketeers, and in 1900 he played Heinrich in The Sunken Bell and Sir Geoffrey Bloomfield in Drifting Apart. For several years, Sothern dreamed of mounting a spectacular and precise production of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
. He finally opened the play in New York in 1900, but during the first week, he was stabbed in the foot by Laertes' sword and was stricken with blood poisoning, closing the production. After he recovered, he revived the piece on tour, but the sets and cosumes were destroyed by a fire in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. 1n 1901, he played the title role in Richard Lovelace and then Francois Villon
François Villon
François Villon was a French poet, thief, and vagabond. He is perhaps best known for his Testaments and his Ballade des Pendus, written while in prison...
in If I Were King. In 1903, he played the title role in Markheim and Robert, the King of Sicily, in The Proud Prince, after which he toured again.
Marlowe and later years
In 1904, he began an extremely successful partnership with actress Julia MarloweJulia Marlowe
Julia Marlowe was an English-born American actress known for her interpretations of William Shakespeare.-Life and career:...
, beginning with their appearances as the title roles in Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
, and the leads in Hamlet. They toured all over the U.S. in these plays, adding The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
, The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
and Twelfth Night to their repertoire in 1905. Unhappy with their compensation from their manager, Charles Frohman
Charles Frohman
Charles Frohman was an American theatrical producer. Frohman was producing plays by 1889 and acquired his first Broadway theatre by 1892. He discovered and promoted many stars of the American theatre....
, they continued under the management of the Shubert Brothers, from then on receiving a percentage of the profits. In 1906, together with Marlowe, he played the Duc d'Alençon in Percy MacKaye's Jeanne d'Arc, the title role in Sudermann's John the Baptist and Heinrich in The Sunken Bell, receiving favorable reviews: "He plays the idealist thoughtfully and intelligently.... He plays it with a fire and enthusiasm that approach closely to genius." By this time, Marlowe and Sothern were known as the premier Shakespearean actors in their day. Sothern was particularly admired as Benedick and Malvolio.
Academy of Music (Manhattan)
The Academy of Music was a New York City opera house, located at East 14th Street and Irving Place in Manhattan. The 4,000-seat hall opened on October 2, 1854. The New York Times review declared it to be an acoustical "triumph", but "In every other aspect .....
in New York, allowing audiences to see the performances who had not previously been able to afford their productions. Marlowe and Sothern dissolved their company and formed separate companies for a time. Sothern played Raskolnikov in Laurence Irving
Laurence Irving
Laurence Sydney Brodribb Irving was an English dramatist and novelist.-Life and career:Laurence Irving was a son of the great Victorian actor manager, Sir Henry Irving and his wife Florence , and brother to actor manager Harry Brodribb Irving...
's adaptation of Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It was later published in a single volume. This is the second of Dostoyevsky's full-length novels following his...
, entitled The Fool Hath Said in His Heart. He also starred in Hamlet and If I were King, as well as playing Lord Dundreary
Lord Dundreary
Lord Dundreary is a character of the 1858 British play Our American Cousin by Tom Taylor. He is the personification of a good-natured, brainless aristocrat. The role was created on stage by Edward Askew Sothern. The most famous scene involved Dundreary reading a letter from his even sillier...
, his father's famous role, in Our American Cousin
Our American Cousin
Our American Cousin is an 1858 play in three acts by English playwright Tom Taylor. The play is a farce whose plot is based on the introduction of an awkward, boorish but honest American, Asa Trenchard, to his aristocratic English relatives when he goes to England to claim the family estate...
. Also in 1908, he played the title role in Paul Kester
Paul Kester
Paul Kester was a U.S. playwright.He was the younger brother of Vaughan Kester and a cousin of William Dean Howells....
's adaptation of Don Quixote that was written especially for him. In 1909, he played the title role in Richelieu.
At the end of 1909, Sothern and Marlowe reunited in Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623. The plot is based on Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Lives and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony...
at the New Theatre
Century Theatre
The Century Theatre, originally the New Theatre, was a theater located at 62nd Street and Central Park West in New York City. Opened on November 6, 1909, it was noted for its fine architecture but due to poor acoustics and an inconvenient location it was financially unsuccessful...
in New York under the direction of Louis Calvert
Louis Calvert
Louis James Calvert was a British stage and early film actor of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and an actor-manager...
. In 1910 they toured in Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, receiving enthusiastic notices and bringing the production to New York, where it was a hit. They then continued to tour their Shakespearean repertoire, also playing special performances of the plays for children at schools. Sothern divorced Harned to marry Marlowe in 1911. In 1914, Sothern played the title character in Charlemagne, and the next year he played Jeffery Panton in The Two Virtues and Dundreary in Lord Dundreary. In 1916, he was the title character in David Garrick
David Garrick (play)
David Garrick is a comic play written in 1864 by Thomas William Robertson about the famous 18th century actor and theatre manager, David Garrick....
. Sothern appeared in several early films, including The Chattel (1916) and The Man of Mystery (1917). He also wrote about a dozen plays that he appeared in, although most of them are lost.
After more touring with Marlowe in Shakespeare, the two brought their production of The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
to New York in 1921. Soon afterwards, Marlowe's health was failing, and she retired in 1924, although she lived until 1950. In 1925, Sothern played Edmund de Verron in Accused, and in 1926, he played Tiburtius in What Never Dies. In 1928, he began to lecture about Shakespeare on successful speaking tours, continuing on the lecture circuit until his death in 1933.
He died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
of pneumonia in 1933 at the age of 73 and was cremated.