May Brookyn
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May Brookyn (?1854/59 - February 15, 1894) was an English born American stage actress.[citation needed] On February 15, 1894 she died by suicide by taking carbolic acid in San Francisco. Her lover Frederic A. Lovecraft had committed suicide months before her own death. [1]
Early life
[edit]Brookyn was born in Cornwall, England.[2] Her name was spelled Brookyn but is often misspelled Brooklyn.
Career
[edit]Brookyn joined a theatrical company at age 15 when her parents were abroad. They made her return to school, but she persisted and resumed acting. Wilson Barrett signed her to act in a production of The Silver King in England. Her American stage debut came in the role of Claire in a production of The Forge Master.[2]
Suicide
[edit]On February 15, 1894 she died by suicide by taking carbolic acid in San Francisco several months after the death of her lover Frederic A. Lovecraft who shot himself.[3] Brookyn was born in Greater London, England and is buried in Brooklyn's Evergreen Cemetery.
Selected roles
[edit]- Jim the Penman as Mrs. Ralston (substitute for Agnes Booth)
- The Pharisee
- Alabama as Widow Page (1891)
- Lady Windermere's Fan as Mrs. Erlynne
References
[edit]- ^ New York Times MAY BROOKYN MOURNED FOR LOVECRAFT.;Cause of the Suicide of the Actress in San Francisco. (1894 article download in Adobe Acrobat) Retrieved October 1, 2014
- ^ a b Gallery of plays from the Illustrated American. Illustrated American Publishing Company. 1894. p. 14. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ New York Times MAY BROOKYN MOURNED FOR LOVECRAFT.;Cause of the Suicide of the Actress in San Francisco. (1894 article download in Adobe Acrobat) Retrieved October 1, 2014
External links
[edit]- May Brookyn photo gallery (NY Public Library, Billy Rose collection)
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