Ada Rehan by Kevin Hannan

da Rehan, perhaps the greatest and most famous actress and stage personal- ity ever to come out of this country, was born at No. 1, Shan- non Street, Limerick, on April 22nd. 1860. Her father was Thomas Crehan, one of the hundreds who worked in and around the harbour. As a skilled shipwright, he might be regarded as by Kevin Hannan belonging to the middle class, espe- cially since he is sometimes described as a 'ship-owner', though the same badge of respectability might be pin- ned on every "badoir" that broughtturf from L2basheeda to Arthur's Quay. His address, however, was some distance from the working class districts at the time, and gives some authenticity to the claims of his social standing. In those days, the harbour was a busy place, and it was not uncommon to see a forest of masts along the river between the dock gate and the Custom House. New vessels, usually schoon- ers, yawls and such smaller craft, were built at the Lansdowne Yard (still to be seen, in dereliction, near St. Michael's Boat Club), and at the Long Dock (near the Co. Courthouse); which was known, around the turn of the century, as Farrell's Yard. No doubt, Tom Cre- han had a hand in the building of some of the finevessels that leftthese stocks. With the transition from sail to steam, work i~ the Limerick yards began to decline and the skills of the shipwright were becoming less and less in demand. Evidently this change, however gradual, was beginning to be felt by the mid-1860s, for we find Tom Cre- han packing up and emigrating to the United States with his wife and family -two boys and three girls. There may have been other reasons for this move, for the Baltimore Sun described him as "...a shipwright and ship-owner who met with reverses and emigrated to this country about the close of the Civil War". Tom Crehan, the craftsman, was also a good provider, for he soon set up his family in a comfortable home. Appa- Ada Rehan and John Drew in "The Railroad of Love", Daly's Theatre, New York, 1838. rently, they got along well with their new neighbours; after a short time the with Augustin Daly, the ebullient Ada Crehan, and it was not until she older girl, Mary Kate struck up a impresario who was to guide their had become the leading lady with Mrs. friendship with Oliver Byron, a well youngest sister, Ada (Charlotte), to the John Drew, at the Arch Street Theatre connected playwright and actor who dizzy heights of stardom. in Philadelphia, that she got her new was enjoying some success in his pro- Despite her family's connection with name. The change was caused by a fession. They married after a short the stage, Ada's introduction to it was printer's error in billing her in the cast courtship, and soon Katie was on the purely accidental. On a night in 1874, as 'Ada C. Rehan'. For the rest of her life stage playing beside her husband. No she was taken by her elder sister to the she remained Ada Rehan - without doubt she was assisted in her new Newark Theatre, New Jersey, where the "C". Her brother, Arthur, was the career by a fine soprano voice which, Oliver Byron was playing. One of the only other member of her family to during her Limerick days, had thrilled actresses was taken ill, and Byron, at assume this name. congregatibns in the Franciscan his wits' end to find a replacement, Within a few months of her acciden- Church. After a few months, her asked his young sister-in-law to read tal debut, Ada secured a position in younger sister, Hattie, followed her on the lines. Ada's performance was so Mrs. Drew's Company, where her great to the stage, as did her brothers, Wil- successful that she continued to fill the talents made for dazzling perfor- liam, and Arthur. The former became role for several nights, until the actress mances in such parts as Ophelia-to an agent for his brother-in-law, Oliver whose part she played had recovered. Edwin Booth's Hamlet, and Lady Anne Byron, while Arthur- was associated She was then known by her own name, to John McCullough's Richard111. In the TWENTY-NINE period 1875-278, she played nearly Daly came under the lash of many reputation. Her Viola was irresistible; 200 different roles, &mainlyShakespe- other eminent critics of the time, her Rosalind took all-time high rank; rean heroines, in Philadelphia, Louis- including the dreaded George Bernard her Peggy in The Country Girl, was ville, Albany and Baltimore. In 1879, Shaw, whose biting invective leaves perhaps as fine as Mrs. Jordan's; but she took a decisive step on the road to nothing to the imagination: "...Her it was her Katherine in The Taming of fame when she met Augustin Daly, the (Ellen Terry's) only rival as a Shakespe- the Shrew, for which she will always man who was to domidate her life until rean actress was the great Ada Rehan be remembered. In that part she had his death, 20 years later. It was during (who by a printer's error became fam- few if any peers; certainly none in her this period that Ada reached stardom in ous as Ada C. Rehan): and her genius own time. Daly must be given credit a world theatre graced by such actres- too was being wasted by Augustin for this for it was he who restored the ses as Ellen Terry and Lily Langtry. She Daly, another master mutilator of the play to its full Shakespearean sig- seems to have been captivated by Daly, unfortunate playwright whom he pro- nificance, re-inserting the portions who was a married man and a "strict fessed to adore. But, as Daly did not which Garrick had deleted. He took Catholic". his company to England, first in 1884 This was, ostensibly, a purely busi- and again in 1886, when a Berlin sea- ness association, but the petty son was undertaken and also in 1888 jealousies, foibles and, squabbles of when his version of the Shrew won these two decades marked out the high praise. Paris was only mildly partnership as an extra-marital liaison UNDER TlXE LXQ W'F enthusiastic but English critics recog- of the deepest emotional attachment, nised the value of his restorations though it was opined by more than one and the company was well received. contemporary that Daly would not So warm was the response that he have married Ada Rehan, even if he built a theatre in London ... (torn had been free to do so. Yet their down in 19391, which became one of behaviour was that of a couple in love, the most popular theatres in "the and Daly's habit of hiring glamorous British capital". actresses and ditching them uncer- When Augustin Daly brought Ada moniously so as to make it easier for Rehan to London in 1884 the theat- his own leading lady to retain her regoers expected the usual American supremacy at the top of the bill gave style stage presentation, but what a further credence to that conclusion. surprise they got! The patrons of Notwithstanding the charges made O'Toole's Theatre went wild with against him by a number of influential delight. One eminent critic had this to critics, Augustin Daly was a remarkable say after her first performance: man by any standards. Born in 1838, he "Hitherto Daly had put before us little began his theatrical career by writing -. else but German-American farce, V--.- -1- ."". dramatic criticism for the New York *WM~~afi~hid~ beautifully played, but a little thin and Courier. He soop emerged as an ingeni- not very satisfactory. Suddenly he ous playwright, and adapted more than poster for Augustin Daly's play "Under the Gas Lighr announced his intention of produc- 90 plays, usually from French or Ger- himself act, his hackings and hewings ing a Shakespearean comedy. He man drama or from English and Ameri- were very largely addressed to the would submit to us The Taming of can novels. Most of these plays were object of taking all the good lines out of the Shrew, with Miss Rehan as theatrically successful but had little the other parts and adding them to Ada Katherine. We all remember the literary value. However, they sewed to Rehan's: and she spoke them so har- result. What a revelation, to begin further his managerial ambitions and moniously that when listening to her it with, was the setting of the play, how also launched several popular actres- was impossible to care much about much charm there was in the scen- ses who appeared under his direction. anything but the music of her voice and ery! But the main benefaction was He became a theatre owner when he Shakespeare's." the presentation to us, in the person opened his new Fifth Avenue Theatre If Augustin Daly was such a bounder, of Miss Rehan, of a new Shakespea- on December 14th, 1875. how then did Miss Rehan attain such rian actress of the finest gifts, and From the moment Daly first saw Ada pre-eminence in her profession? The most delightful powers - the only Rehan in Mrs. John Drew's Company in whole theatrical world raved about her real adequate Katherine that had Philadelphia, he was quick to discern and the seasoned critics were hard been seen on the English stage in the the genius that lay hidden behind the pushed to find appropriate adjectives memory of middle-aged enthusiasts.

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