Jane Wheatley
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Jane Wheatley (1881 – February 17, 1935) was an actress of the American stage. In private life her name was Mrs. Galway Herbert. She was a member of the Theatre Guild companies for many years and played with Ethel Barrymore and Lynn Fontanne. In June 1911 Miss Wheatley was a principal star of Mary Jane's Pa, an idyllic comedy of life in Indiana. The production was put on by the Murat stock company at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her early departure in the season gave Lillian Sinnott and opportunity to be the stock company's leading lady.
In December 1919 Jane played the role of Mary in The Wayfarer, which was considered a modern Passion Play. It began a short season at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The drama drew on impressions of World War I along with the social despair which had continued for ages of the Christian era. Other performers in the play were Blanche Yurka and J. Harry Irving.
[edit] Care for animals
The actress was known for her kindness to animals and could not bear to see them abused or badly treated. As a member of the Fawcett Stock company in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1907, Wheatley came upon a mule being beaten on Forsyth Street. She implored the man who was beating the animal with a hickory stick to cease his abuse. She gave the man a half dollar and begged him to restrain his temper. When she left the mule's handler was coaxing him in a soothing manner, which pleased Wheatley. Previously she had intervened to prevent small children from rocking a dog and stopped a cab driver from abusing an old horse.
[edit] Last days
Wheatley's final appearance on Broadway came in October 1932. She played the role of Maud Mockridge in Dangerous Corner by J.B. Priestley. She died in 1935 at the Memorial Hospital, 2 West 106th Street, New York. She was 54 years old. Her funeral services were held at the Funeral Church on Broadway and Sixty-Sixth Street. Miss Wheatley's husband was in England and was notified of her death.
[edit] References
- The Atlanta Constitution, Leading Lady Interferes To Save A Stubborn Mule, Monday, July, 22, 1907, Page 6.
- The Indianapolis Star, Indiana Comedy to Be Seen at Murat, Sunday, June 4, 1911, Page 36.
- The Indianapolis Star, First Half of Theaters Establishes Record, December 12, 1921, Page 36.
- The New York Times, Jane Wheatley, February 18, 1935, Page 15.
