Rose Eytinge (November 21, 1835 – December 20, 1911) was a Jewish American actress and author. She is thought to be the first American actress to earn a three figure salary.

Biography

Eytinge was born November 21, 1835 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 ...

. She began on the amateur stage at 17 and soon was invited to join a professional touring company. Her professional debut was on stage at the Olympic Theatre. She performed with

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 ...

in "The Fool's Revenge". With Booth and others, she toured

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Philadelphia 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 ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, and Washington, D.C.. President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

attended her performances and she was invited to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

. In 1855, she married the newspaperman and author David M. Barnes (1820-1900), but was divorced in 1862. They had one daughter, Rose Courtney, an actress who married actor John T. Raymond. Her niece,

Pearl Eytinge Pearl Eytinge (''née'' Wyckoff; 1854–1914) was a New York-born actress, author, producer, playwright and activist who once said "There is no vice on earth of which I have not partaken". Her addiction to drink and drugs ended her stage career ...

, was also an actress. In 1869, she married Colonel George H. Butler, U. S. Consul General to Egypt. They lived abroad for two years and Eytinge took a break from performing. They had two children: a daughter, Florence (b. 1875) married Dr. Walsh, and a son, Benjamin Franklin Butler (1871-1904), a newspaper artist, who was the roommate of young

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly a ...

and married to actress Alice Johnson. Due to Butler's abusive behavior and infidelities, Eytinge sued for divorce in 1882.The 1882 divorce from Butler was a "degree of absolute divorce" in the Supreme Court, Special Term. She and Butler must have divorced earlier because she remarried to Cyril Searle in 1880. Also Butler remarried secretly in 1880 to Josephine Chesney confirming the status of an earlier divorce date. Eytinge returned to New York to resume her career with the Union Square Theatre Company. It was at this time that she played one of her most famous roles, Shakespeare's "Cleopatra" for which she drew on her Egyptian experiences. In 1880, she married the actor Cyril Searle, but they were separated four years later. She gave her last performance in 1907. Among her principal later parts were Nancy Sykes in ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...

'', Gervaise in ''Drink'',

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet. Due to Hamlet's actions, Ophelia ultima ...

to the ''

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 ...

'' of E. L. Davenport, and

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 ...

with James W. Wallack as ''

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 ...

'' and Davenport as

Iago Iago () is a fictional character in Shakespeare's '' Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Iago is the play's main antagonist and Othello's standard-bearer. He is the husband of Emilia who is in turn the attendant of Othello's wife Desdemona. Iago ha ...

. Her literary works include the novel ''It Happened This Way'' (with S. Ada Fisher), the play ''Golden Chains'', and adaptations of Charles Dickens' ''

,'' ''

Dombey and Son ''Dombey and Son'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens. It follows the fortunes of a shipping firm owner, who is frustrated at the lack of a son to follow him in his footsteps; he initially rejects his daughter's love before eventual ...

'', and Browning's '' Colombe's Birthday''. Her personal memoirs were published in 1905. Eytinge died of a stroke on December 20, 1911, at the Brunswick Home of

Amityville, New York Amityville () is a Political subdivisions of New York State#Village, village in the Babylon (town), New York, Town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, on the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore of Long Island, in New York ...

, where she was supported by the

Actors Fund of America The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports performers and behind-the-scenes workers in performing arts and entertainment, helping more than 17,000 people directly each year. Se ...

. Her body was sent to Washington for burial.

Selected performances

* ''The Fool's Revenge'' as Fiordelisa (1864) * ''

Griffith Gaunt ''Griffith Gaunt, or Jealousy'' is an 1866 sensation novel by Charles Reade. A best-selling book in its day, it was thought by Reade to be his best novel, but critics and posterity have generally preferred '' The Cloister and the Hearth'' (1861 ...

'' as Katherine Peyton (1866) * '' Under the Gaslight'' as Laura Courtlandt (1867) * '' Led Astray'' as Armande (1873) * '' The Two Orphans'' as Marianne (1874) * ''Rose Michel'' (in title role) (1875)

Written works

* *

Notes

References

External links

*
Rose Eytinge
on the

NYPL Digital Gallery The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

Rose Eytinge's Reminiscences of Distinguished Men
from

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

, February 25, 1912 {{DEFAULTSORT:Eytinge, Rose 1835 births 1911 deaths American expatriates in Egypt American autobiographers 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses Actresses from Philadelphia Jewish American actresses American women autobiographers