Hermann Vezin
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Hermann Vezin (March 2, 1829 – June 12, 1910) was an American actor, teacher of
elocution Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone as well as the idea and practice of effective speech and its forms. It stems from the idea that while communication is symbolic, sounds are final and compel ...
and writer. He was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, and educated at the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
.


Life and work

Vezin was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, the son of Charles Henri/Carl Heinrich Vezin (1782–1853), a German merchant of French heritage, and his wife Emilie, née Kalinsky (1804–1858). His great-great-grandfather Pierre (de) Vezin (1654-1727) was married on the 14th August 1689 in
Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
to the seventeenth-century French actress Marie Charlotte Pâtissier de Châteauneuf (1672-1729).
Rouget de Lisle Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (; 10 May 1760 – 26 June 1836) was a French army officer of the French Revolutionary Wars. Lisle is known for writing the words and music of the , which would later be known as and become the French national anthe ...
, the composer of the French national anthem, "
La Marseillaise "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by the First French Republic against Austria, and was originally titled "". The French Na ...
," was one of his distant cousins. After studying law for several years, Vezin graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
with an A.B. in 1847 and later a master's degree in 1850. Despite resistance from his family, Vezin was determined to work as an actor and departed America for the UK shortly after graduation. He made his first appearance at the
York Theatre Royal York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St Leonard's Place, in York, England, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 750 people. Whilst the theatre is traditionally a proscenium theatre, it was reconfigured for a season in 2011 to off ...
in
St Leonard's Place St Leonard's Place is a street in York, England. History The site street lay mostly within the walls of Roman Eboracum, and two Anglo-Saxon carved stones and St Leonard's Place hoard, a large coin hoard have been discovered in excavations in t ...
, York, England. After playing minor roles in several provincial engagements, he began performing leading characters as Cardinal Richelieu, Sir Edward Mortimer, Claude Melnotte, and Young Norval. He made his London début in 1852 at the Princess's Theatre. On February 21, 1863, at St Peter's Church, Eaton Square, he married the former child actress, English-born Jane Elizabeth Thompson who, appearing as an adult under the name Mrs. Charles Young, had made a reputation as an actress both in Australia and in England. They appeared in many plays with together until her death in 1902. Together they had a son, the silent film actor, Arthur Vezin. Apart from a brief professional tour of the United States in 1857–58, the majority of Vezin's acting career took place on the English stage. Though primarily an actor, in 1866 he collaborated with the playwrights
W. G. Wills William Gorman Wills (28 January 182813 December 1891), usually known as W. G. Wills, was an Irish dramatist, novelist and painter. Early life and career Wills was born at Blackwell lodge in Kilmurry, near Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Thomasto ...
and
James Albery James Albery (4 May 1838 – 15 August 1889) was an English dramatist. Life and career Albery was born in London. On leaving school he entered an architect's office and started to write plays. His farce ''A Pretty Piece of Chiselling'' wa ...
to write the vaudeville inspired play ''Doctor Davey'' based on the 1842 play ''Le Docteur Robin'' by French writer Jules de Prémaray in which he also played the title role. The following year he starred as a troubled Scottish poet James Harebell in Wills' ''Man o' Airlie'' (1867) to overwhelmingly positive reviews. Vezin followed up with other successful showings, such as ''The Turn of the Tide'' by F. C. Burnand (1869), ''Son of the Soil'' (1872); ''As You Like It'' (1875); and
W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...
's ''
Dan'l Druce, Blacksmith ''Dan'l Druce, Blacksmith'' is a play by W. S. Gilbert, styled "A Three-Act Drama of Puritan times". It opened at the Haymarket Theatre in London on 11 September 1876, starring Hermann Vezin, Johnston Forbes-Robertson and Marion Terry. The pla ...
'', which ran for one hundred and nineteen performances at the
Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...
(1876, also a revival in 1884); He acted with
Charles Fechter Charles Albert Fechter (23 October 1824 – 5 August 1879) was an Anglo-French actor. Biography Fechter was born, probably in London, of French parents, although his mother was of Piedmontese and his father of German extraction. As a boy he h ...
,
Samuel Phelps Samuel Phelps (13 February 1804 – 6 November 1878) was an English actor-manager. He is known for reviving the fortunes of the neglected Sadler's Wells Theatre and for his productions of Shakespeare's plays which were presented with attenti ...
,
Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...
, and in 1878 played Dr. Primrose alongside actress
Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry (27 February 184721 July 1928) was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and toured ...
in Wills' ''Olivia, Vicar of Wakefield'' (1878), a highly successful adaptation of
Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish poet, novelist, playwright, and hack writer. A prolific author of various literature, he is regarded among the most versatile writers of the Georgian e ...
's novel, ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1766). Sir J. Forbes-Robertson described Vezin in the ''London Post'' as a "bright and dapper little man, who was both "learned and dictatorial on the art of acting." The
Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'', founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was published weekly for most of its existence, switched to a less freq ...
review of Vezin in the title role of ''Dan'l Druce, Blacksmith'' noted that "Mr. Vezin is probably the most intellectual of our actors, and is the very man for creating an original part, such as that of Dan'l Druce" and described one scene as "an acting hit by Mr. Hermann Vezin which literally electrified the house." He was one of
W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...
's favourite actors. p. 86 and, besides the aforementioned ''Dan'l Druce, Blacksmith'', he also starred in Gilbert's '' Randall's Thumb'', (1871), and played Mousta in an 1882 revival of ''
Broken Hearts ''Broken Hearts'' is a blank verse play by W. S. Gilbert in three acts styled "An entirely original fairy play". It opened at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 9 December 1875, running for three months, and toured the provinces in 1876. It w ...
'' alongside Gilbert himself as Florian (due to an accident incapacitating Kyrle Bellew). A benefit matinee was held for Vezin at the Haymarket Theatre on March 19, 1896. For this,
George Grossmith George Grossmith (9 December 1847 – 1 March 1912) was an English comedian, writer, composer, actor, and singer. His performing career spanned more than four decades. As a writer and composer, he created 18 comic operas, nearly 100 musical ...
gave a sketch, and play scenes featured
Gerald du Maurier Sir Gerald Hubert Edward Busson du Maurier (26 March 1873 – 11 April 1934) was an English actor and Actor-manager, manager. He was the son of author George du Maurier and his wife, Emma Wightwick, and the brother of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies ...
,
Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and Actor-manager, theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End theatre, West End, winning ...
and
Cyril Maude Cyril Francis Maude (24 April 1862 — 20 February 1951) was an English actor-manager. Biography Maude was born in London and educated at Wixenford School, Wixenford and Charterhouse School. In 1881, he was sent to Adelaide, South Australia, on ...
, among others. Vezin continued to act, appearing in ''The Happy Life'' in 1897 and as Rowley in ''
The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...
'' opposite Herbert Beerbohm Tree in 1909.Photographs of Vezin
in ''
The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...
'' (1909) –
National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...
website
In his declining years, Vezin appear infrequently on the stage, rather spending most of his time giving lessons to aspiring thespians, including the actors
Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and Actor-manager, theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End theatre, West End, winning ...
,
Baliol Holloway Baliol Holloway (born around 1884, died 15 April 1967) was an English Shakespearean actor. Early life Baliol Holloway was born in Brentwood, Essex. He was educated at Denstone in Staffordshire. He was a pupil of Hermann Vezin. Career Hollowa ...
and Frank Benson as well as the actress
Mary Mannering Mary Mannering (born Florence Friend; April 29, 1876 – January 21, 1953) was an English actress. She studied for the stage under Hermann Vezin. She made her debut at Manchester in 1892 under her own name of Florence Friend. Biography Born Cl ...
. He also dedicated himself to appearances at recitals and play readings. His last stage role was Old Rowley in Tree's production of playwright Richard Sheridan's ''
The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...
'' at His Majesty's Theatre in Scotland, in April 1909. He had been active on the British stage for nearly sixty years, and had been a resident of London, where he died at his home, 10 Lancaster Place, Strand, on June 12, 1910. His body was cremated at Golders Green and his ashes were scattered.


References


External links


Hermann Vezin archive at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection
University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a public university, public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Br ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vezin, Hermann 19th-century American male actors American male stage actors American theatre managers and producers People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan 1829 births 1910 deaths University of Pennsylvania alumni American expatriate male actors American expatriates in the United Kingdom Male actors from Philadelphia American people of French descent