James Herne

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Herne, James A. [né Ahearn] (1839–1901), playwright and actor. The son of a poor Irish immigrant who had adopted the rigorous philosophy of the Dutch Reformed Church, he was taken out of school in his native Cohoes, New York, at the age of thirteen and put to work in a brush factory. Although his father forbade his attending theatricals, when he was fourteen he saw Edwin Forrest perform. That spurred him to pursue a career. However, it was not until he was twenty that he joined a traveling troupe performing the dog dramas then popular. Herne performed in upstate New York, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Montreal, and then to New York before serving a stint as manager of Manhattan's Grand Opera House. He next managed several theatres in California, where he met David Belasco and married Katharine Corcoran. Herne had already begun to adapt novels for the stage, but it was with Belasco that he wrote his first important play, Hearts of Oak (1880). The play was unusual for its day, offering neither a clear hero nor a clear villain. After quarreling with Belasco, Herne wrote an unsuccessful patriotic drama, The Minute Men of 1774–75 (1886). The movement toward naturalistic writing, which Herne had manifested in Hearts of Oak, was seen more clearly in his next play, Drifting Apart (1888), which brought him to the attention of such important literary figures as Hamlin Garland and William Dean Howells. Along with his actress wife, both men encouraged him as he worked on his next play, Margaret Fleming (1891), the first important American play to demonstrate a significant debt to Ibsen. That connection was held against it by many contemporary playgoers; even Mrs. Herne's fine acting of the title role could not ensure its acceptance. However, Herne's next play, Shore Acres (1893), enjoyed widespread success with the author in the leading role. His last works were The Reverend Griffith Davenport (1899) and Sag Harbor (1900), in which Herne assumed the role of an aging guardian angel, Captain Dan Marble. Herne was more of an enlightened, progressive writer than a great one. Even if his plays had revealed greater literary or artistic merits, it seems doubtful that they would have been more successful, for he paid the price for being in the avant‐garde: forced runs, small profits, and often downright commercial failure. As a result, even when his reputation as a playwright was established, to make ends meet he was often required to act in or direct other men's works. However, his principal celebrity comes from his effectively introducing Ibsen's theories into American drama. His daughter was actress Chrystal Herne. Biography: James A. Herne: The American Ibsen, John Perry, 1978.

James A. Herne (February 1, 1839 – June 2, 1901), was an American playwright, born James Ahern. Considered by some critics to be the "American Ibsen," his controversial play Margaret Fleming is often credited with having begun modern drama in America.

James Ahearn was born in Cohoes, New York. His parents were poor Irish immigrants who removed him from school at age thirteen to work in a brush factory.

Contents 1 Stage actor 2 Playwright 3 Death 4 Principal works 5 External links 5.1 References

Stage actor

Herne decided to become an actor the next year but was twenty before he could join a traveling troupe. He enjoyed modest success as a young actor, appearing in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. with the John Thompson Ford company in the early 1860s. He was the leading man for the Lucille Western Touring Company from 1865-1867. He was briefly married, in the early 1860s, to Lucille's sister Helen Western an actress who later became romantically involved with John Wilkes Booth. He managed the Grand Opera House at 23rd and 8th Avenue in New York City for a season. He then moved to San Francisco in 1870 to manage several other theaters. In San Francisco, he met David Belasco, with whom he collaborated on at least three of his plays. He also met and married his second wife, actress Katherine Corcoran. The couple had five children, one son John Herne and four daughters, Alma Herne, Dorothy Herne, Julie Herne and Katherine Chrystal Herne who usually went by the name Chrystal. Dorothy and Julie were also actresses.

Playwright

Herne was the first American playwright to incorporate dramatic realism. He ventured away from nineteenth century dramatic romance and melodrama. Much of Herne's work faded into obscurity in the twentieth century. However, he exerted a profound influence, directing American dramatic literature toward the depiction of complex socially realities. This was illustrated in his controversial play Margaret Fleming (1890). The work singled him out as an influential figure in 19th century drama.

Herne's first successful play, Hearts of Oak, was written and produced with Belasco in 1879. After this, Herne focused mostly on writing. Ironically, of his later plays, only a handful saw financial success in his lifetime. He continued to act, often in his own works, but also in the plays of others. In 1897 Herne played Nathaniel Berry in Shore Acres at the Harlem Opera House. It was the sixth consecutive season that he portrayed this character.

Death

James A. Herne died in New York in 1901.

Principal works

• Within an Inch of his Life with David Belasco 1879
• Marriage by Moonlight with David Belasco 1879
• Hearts of Oak with David Belasco 1879
• The Minute Man 1886
• Drifting Apart 1888
• Margaret Fleming 1890
• Shore Acres 1893
• Art for Truth's Sake (essay) 1897
• The Reverent Griffith Davenport 1899
• Sag Harbor 1900

External links

• James Herne biography with photo.

References

Literature Resource Center. "James Ahearn Herne." http://www.galegroup.com/LitRC/

• "Theaters". October 10, 1897. p. 5. 

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