Adah Isaacs Menken facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adah Isaacs Menken
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Adah Isaacs Menken, age 19
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| Born | June 15, 1835 |
| Died | August 10, 1868 (aged 33) |
| Occupation | Actress, painter, poet |
Adah Isaacs Menken (born June 15, 1835 – died August 10, 1868) was a famous American actress, painter, and poet. She was one of the highest-paid actresses of her time.
Menken was best known for her exciting role in the play Mazeppa. In this play, she rode a horse on stage, which was very daring for the time. She had great success with Mazeppa in New York and San Francisco. Later, she performed the show in London and Paris from 1864 to 1866. After a short visit back to the United States, she returned to Europe. She became ill and passed away in Paris at just 33 years old.
Adah Isaacs Menken was a celebrity who created amazing performances. She was also known for her writing. She published many essays and poems. Her book of collected poems, Infelicia, was printed for many years after her death.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Adah Isaacs Menken's early life has many different stories. She often told different versions of where she was born and who her family was. Some records say she was born in Bordeaux, France. Others say she was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, or even Memphis, Tennessee.
Most historians now believe she was born in New Orleans. Her parents were likely Auguste Théodore and Marie, who were of mixed race. She was probably raised as a Catholic. Adah was a very smart student. She learned to speak French and Spanish fluently.
As a child, Adah performed as a dancer. She danced in ballets at the French Opera House in New Orleans. Later, she danced in Havana, Cuba. There, she was even called the "Queen of the Plaza."
Becoming a Star
After her dancing career, Menken started acting. She first worked as an actress in Texas. She performed readings of Shakespeare's plays. She also wrote poems and short stories for a local newspaper.
In 1856, she married Alexander Isaac Menken. He was a musician from a well-known Jewish family. Alexander became her manager. Adah Menken performed across the Midwest and Southern United States. She received good reviews for her "reckless energy."
In 1857, she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Here, she began to connect with the Jewish faith. She studied Judaism and published poetry and articles about it. She started spelling her name "Adah Isaacs Menken" in 1858. She became known for her acting, poetry, and painting.
Menken had a unique style. She wore her wavy hair short, which was very unusual for women at that time. She created a bold and independent image for herself. This helped her become a celebrity as newspapers and media grew.
In 1859, Menken performed on Broadway in New York City. Critics did not always praise her acting. The New York Times once called her "the worst actress on Broadway." However, her unique style and personality still made her famous.
She married a famous boxer named John C. Heenan in 1859. Their marriage was short, but her connection to him added to her fame.
While in New York, Menken met the poet Walt Whitman. His work influenced her writing. She began to write in a more personal style. From 1860 to 1861, she published many poems in the Sunday Mercury newspaper. These poems were later collected in her book, Infelicia. By publishing in a newspaper, she reached many more readers. She even wrote an article praising Whitman's poetry.
The Mazeppa Sensation
Adah Isaacs Menken became a huge star because of her role in Mazeppa. This play was a "hippodrama," meaning it featured horses on stage. The most famous part was when she rode a horse, appearing to be tied to its back. This was very exciting for audiences.
Menken took Mazeppa to San Francisco, where it was a massive hit. She became known across the country for this role. San Francisco audiences loved her.
In 1864, Menken brought Mazeppa to London and Paris. The show opened at the Astley Theatre in London to huge crowds. She was so famous that people just called her "the Menken."
During this time, she earned a lot of money. She was very generous to her friends, other theater people, and charities. In Europe, she attracted many famous admirers, including the writer Charles Dickens.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1867, Menken returned to England but became very ill. She had to stop performing and faced financial difficulties. Many people did not know how sick she was until she collapsed during a rehearsal.
She moved back to Paris and passed away on August 10, 1868. She was only 33 years old. Before she died, she wrote to a friend, "I am lost to art and life. Yet, when all is said and done, have I not at my age tasted more of life than most women who live to be a hundred?"
She was buried in Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris. The words "Thou knowest" were carved on her tomb. Menken once wrote about her public and private life: "I have always believed myself to be possessed of two souls, one that lives on the surface of life... the other as deep and as unfathomable as the ocean."
Her only book of poems, Infelicia, was published just a few days after her death.
Literary Achievements
Adah Isaacs Menken truly wanted to be known as a writer. However, her exciting stage career and public life often overshadowed her literary work. She published about 20 essays and 100 poems during her lifetime. Her book Infelicia contained 31 poems.
Her early writings were about family and romance. After she studied Judaism, her poems and essays often featured Jewish themes. Later, after meeting writers in New York, she changed her style. She was influenced by poets like Walt Whitman.
Her collection Infelicia was very popular. It went through several editions and was still being printed until 1902.
Images for kids
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A previous version of Astley's Amphitheatre, showing the horse ring
See also
In Spanish: Adah Isaacs Menken para niños
