William J. Le Moyne

Background

William J. Le Moyne was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, probably the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Cody) Le Moyne.

Career

Le Moyne began his career in the theatre as a member of one of the numerous amateur dramatic clubs that flourished in Boston during the middle nineteenth century. He made his professional début, on May 10, 1852, at Portland, Maine, as one of the officers in The Lady of Lyons, a romantic drama by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. He also played Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet, Sir Oliver Surface in The School for Scandal, and Polydor in Ingomar.

From that time onward he was continuously active in his profession for almost fifty years, with the exception of his period of service in the Union army during the Civil War. Going to Troy, New York, he joined the stock company under the management of George C. Howard, acting Deacon Parry in the first dramatic version of Uncle Tom's Cabin. He was for several seasons in Montreal, Philadelphia, Charleston, and Boston, being at the Howard Athen'um, Boston, in 1859-60 when that historic playhouse was under the management of Edward L. Davenport.

In October 1861 he enlisted in Company B, 28th Massachusetts Regiment, being first lieutenant while Lawrence Barrett was captain, and succeeding Barrett when the latter resigned. He took part in the battles of James Island, second Bull Run, Chantilly, and South Mountain, where he was wounded. Permanently incapacitated for further service, he was honorably discharged.

In after years he was wont to tell stories of picturesque and exciting incidents of his life as a soldier. Returning to the stage upon his recovery, he began, after several seasons of desultory tours, an engagement with the stock company at Selwyn's Theatre in Boston which continued three successive seasons. Beginning in the fall of 1871, he was a member for two seasons of Augustin Daly's company at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York, his first part there being Burrit in Divorce. This rôle was followed by a number of others, which included Rocket Rural in Old Heads and Young Hearts, Moody in The Provoked Husband, Sir Harcourt Courtley in London Assurance, Simon in Article 47, Silky in The Road to Ruin, Dr. Caius in Merry Wives of Windsor, and Lord Durly in Madeline Morel.

By the historian of that company, Edward A. Dithmar (post), he is described as "a natural humorist and a master of the art of make-up. " He was at the Boston Museum for three seasons thereafter, and during this decade acquired a considerable fame on tour in a group of plays that gave him opportunity to interpret such divergent Dickens characters as Caleb Plummer, Captain Cuttle, Uriah Heep, Squeers, Fagin, and Dick Swiveller.

From the beginning of the season of 1877-1878 he was associated almost continuously for nearly twenty years with one or another of the leading New York stock companies, at the Union Square, Daly's, the Madison Square, and the Lyceum, the cast of practically every play given at the last mentioned theatre, during his ten years there, containing his name in an important rôle. He was the first Dick Phenyl in the United States in Pinero's comedy, Sweet Lavender, and among the many parts he acted at the Lyceum Theatre were Major Homer Q. Putnam in The Wife, Judge Knox in The Charity Ball, and Sir Joseph Darby in The Case of Rebellious Susan.

The annual tours of the Lyceum company made his acting familiar to large numbers of playgoers in all the important cities of the United States. He supported Julia Marlowe in Barbara Frietchie in 1899-1900, but after a few other engagements was compelled to retire from the stage on account of ill health. He died at Inwood-on-Hudson, New York, where he had been living since his retirement.

Achievements

• Le Moyne was credited with playing Deacon Perry in the first stage adaption of Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The play was an immediate hit and had a run of one hundred performances. He appeared in a number of plays based on the works of Charles Dickens. In Shakespeare's Hamlet Le Moyne is said to have played every major male role except that of the prince himself.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• ". .. an actor of rare talent and remarkable versatility. His impersonations of eccentric, humorous, peppery old gentlemen were among the finest and most amusing that our stage has known. " - William Winter.

Connections

His first marriage to actress Sarah Le Moyne ended in divorce in 1886 or 1887. His second wife was an actress, first known on the stage as Sarah Cowell, and after her marriage as Sarah Cowell Le Moyne, under which name she starred in The Greatest Thing in the World and other plays.

Father:

Thomas Le Moyne

Mother:

Elizabeth (Cody) Le Moyne

Spouse:

Sarah Le Moyne

Spouse:

Sarah Cowell

Actress

References

• A History Of The Theatre In America From Its Beginnings To The Present Time, Volume 1
• Old Boston Museum Days (Classic Reprint)
• Famous American Actors of Today (illustrated with portraits)
• Memories of Daly's theatres: With passing recollection of others including a record of plays and actors at the Fifth Avenue Theatre and Daly's Theatre, 1869-95
• History of the New York Stage (3 Vol. Set)