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Mary Frances McVicker (born Mary Frances Runnion, also known as Mary McVicker Booth; September 17, 1848 – November 13, 1881) was an American stage actress and singer perhaps best known for her partnership with actor
Edwin Booth Edwin Thomas Booth (November 13, 1833 – June 7, 1893) was an American stage actor and theatrical manager who toured throughout the United States and the major capitals of Europe, performing Shakespearean plays. In 1869, he founded Booth's Th ...
, to whom she was married.


Biography

Mary Frances Runnion was born on September 17, 1848. Her mother was Harriet G. Myers Weaver Runnion. Her stepfather, J.H. McVicker, was a prominent theatre owner in the
Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
. McVicker made her stage debut in one of her stepfather's theatres in 1858. She later received positive critical attention for her performance as Eva in ''
Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...
''. She performed in other productions, some of which were written for her. She performed material from ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
''. She was known for her singing; she performed with Signor Brignoli. She also did imitations of Italian opera singers and the popular French actress
Rachel Rachel () was a Bible, Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph (Genesis), Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban (Bible), Laban. Her older siste ...
. McVicker left the stage to attend school when she was thirteen years old. Author Arthur W. Bloom describes McVicker as "witty, sharp-tongued, domineering, physically strong, an astute businesswoman and eventually, perhaps always, mentally ill". McVicker first met Edwin Booth, an established stage actor from the
Booth family The Booth family was an English American theatrical family of the 19th century. Its most known members were brothers Edwin Booth, one of the leading actors of his day, and John Wilkes Booth, also a fellow actor most remembered for assassinating ...
, when she was nine years old; she danced for him at dinner. Booth was fourteen years her senior. McVicker encountered Booth again in 1867 when she was an adult; this was only a few years after his brother,
John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated United States president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the p ...
, had assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. McVicker and Booth worked together in a number of productions over the next few years. They played the title characters in ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' in 1869 in the inaugural performance at
Booth's Theatre Booth's Theatre was a theatre in New York built by actor Edwin Booth. Located on the southeast corner of 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue, Booth's Theatre opened on February 3, 1869. The theatre featured a grand vestibule with Italian marble floor ...
in New York City; one reviewer wrote, "the
Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Ro ...
of Miss McVicker was a very creditable performance". McVicker played
Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venice, Italy, Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello (char ...
opposite Booth in the title role of ''
Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...
'' in April 1869; this production was poorly received, with one reviewer writing that McVicker "dresses nicely, looks nicely, sings quite nicely, and doesn't act at all". They lived together for over a year before their marriage and they moved to New York together. McVicker and Booth were married by her grandfather in June 1869 at her parents' summer home in
Long Branch, New Jersey Long Branch is a beachside city in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 31,667, an increase of 948 (+3.1%) from the 2010 census count of 30,719, which in turn reflect ...
. Her career as an actress ended with the 1869 season; she worked managing Edwin and his daughter from his previous marriage,
Edwina The name Edwina is a feminine form of the male name Edwin, which derives from Old English and means "rich friend." Edwin was a popular name until the time of the Norman Conquest, then fell out of favour until Victorian era, Victorian times. People ...
. They lived in
Cos Cob, Connecticut Cos Cob is a neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. It is located on the Connecticut shoreline in southern Fairfield County, Connecticut, Fairfield County. It had a population of 6,873 at t ...
, at a home called Cedar Cliff. Their son, Edgar, died shortly after birth in 1870; a subsequent pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Following the loss of Edgar, McVicker suffered from mental and physical illness for the rest of her life. She contracted tuberculosis. McVicker died in New York following her return from a trip to Europe on November 13, 1881; on her husband's birthday. A memorial service held at St. Paul's Universalist Church in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
was led by Dr. W.H. Ryder and Professor
David Swing David Swing (August 23, 1830October 3, 1894) was a United States teacher and clergyman who was the most popular Chicago preacher of his time. Early life Swing was born to Alsatian immigrant parents in Cincinnati, Ohio. Citation: Joseph Fort ...
. She was buried at
Rosehill Cemetery Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is a historic rural cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. At , it is the largest cemetery in the city of Chicago and its first private cemetery. The Entrance Gate and Administration ...
in Chicago.


Legacy

A portrait of McVicker is held at the
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 ...
. McVicker appears as a character in
Angela Iannone Angela may refer to: People * Angela (given name), a feminine name, includes a list of people with the name * Angela (surname), an Italian surname, includes a list of people with the name * Angela (enslaved woman) (fl. 1619–1625), an African ...
's play ''This Prison Where I Live''.


References


External links


Photo
of Mary McVicker
Family photo
including Mary McVicker {{DEFAULTSORT:McVicker, Booth, Mary 1848 births 1881 deaths 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses People from Cos Cob, Connecticut Burials at Rosehill Cemetery Booth family