Jane Placide (1803/1804 – May 16, 1835) was an American actress.

Life

Jane Placide was a daughter of Alexander Placide, manager of the

Charleston Theatre Charleston Theatre, also called Broad Street Theatre, was a theatre in Charleston, South Carolina, between 1794 and 1833. It was the first permanent theatre in Charleston, the first with a permanent staff, and the only theater for much of its dura ...

in Charleston, and actress/opera singer Charlotte Wrighten Placide, who managed the same theatre after the death of her spouse until 1813, when the family lost the theatre. Jane had three siblings; Caroline, Henry and Thomas. All four children became well-known actors, however, it's unclear what

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

s they later used.

Career

Jane Placide and her siblings were schooled into the acting profession from an early age in their parents theater company, who performed both in the Charleston Theatre as well as toured around Virginia and the Carolina states. She made her formal debut as an actor as Volante in 'The Honey Moon' in the

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

company of impresario Charles Gilfert in 1820.Robin O. Warren,
Women on Southern Stages, 1800-1865: Performance, Gender and Identity
'. Accessed March 22, 2024. Placide was engaged by James H. Caldwell in his American Company at the American Theatre on Orleans Street in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, where she made her debut in 1823. Caldwell's American Company was the first permanent English language theatre in New Orleans, and Jane Placide was to become the most celebrated actress in New Orleans. She was engaged at the Camp Street Theatre (also called 'American Theatre') from 1824, when Caldwell founded that theatre. During her period of employment, the Camp Street Theatre was called the finest theatre in the South, and Placide was consequently famed in the entire Antebellum South. She mainly starred in

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

roles, such as Ophelia, Desdemona and Juliet, but she also acted in comedies, such as Mrs Candour in 'The School for Scandal', and melod drama, such as Mrs Haller i 'The Stranger' by

Benjamin Thompson Colonel (United Kingdom), Colonel Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (26 March 175321 August 1814), was an American-born British military officer, scientist and inventor. Born in Woburn, Massachusetts, he sup ...

. One of her most celebrated parts was when she appeared at James H. Caldwell's American Theatre in James H. Kennicott's romantic tragedy ''Irma''; or ''The Prediction'' in 1830. She acted with many of the most famed actors on the American stage, such as Thomas Abthorpe Cooper,

Junius Brutus Booth Junius Brutus Booth (1 May 1796 – 30 November 1852) was an English-born American actor. He was the father of actor John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. His other children included Edwin Booth, one of the foremost t ...

and Edwin Forrest. In 1834, she accompanied James H. Caldwell to London, where she made her debut at the

Covent Garden Theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

. Placide never married, but had a long term relationship with Caldwell. Edwin Forrest was reportedly also in love with Placide, and supposedly challenged Caldwell to a duel, which never happened.

Death

Placide died at age 31. She was buried at the Girod Cemetery originally. The cemetery was eventually disbanded and her remains were reburied at the Hope Mausoleum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Placide, Jane 1800s births 1835 deaths Date of birth missing 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses