Helen Curry (October 22, 1896 – November 15, 1931) was an American stage actress.
Biography
Early life and family
Helen Curry was born October 22, 1896, in Chester, Pennsylvania"Wife of Norwalk Writer Ends Life in Husband's Car", Hartford Courant, November 16, 1931 to Thomas A. Curry and Sarah Jefferis, both of whom were playwrights.The Baronet and The Butterfly, The Evening Journal, Wilmington, DE, June 3, 1924 Curry had one brother, pulp fiction writer Tom Curry (1900-1976). In 1916, Curry married author F. R. Buckley and had a daughter in 1922.David K. Frasier, "Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth Century Cases"
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts Curry studied at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA)Ends Life In Car Seated By Husband. The New York Times, November 16, 1931 which at the time was housed in the Lyceum Theatre. Her father, in addition to being a playwright, was the personal secretary to theatrical impresario David Belasco"Experiences of 18 years as Late David Belasco's secretary", Hartford Courant, September 23, 1933 from 1914 until Belasco's death in 1931 and subsequently held the same position for Morris Gest.Plays and Players, The Brooklyn Eagle, September 25, 1931 David Belasco was an important early supporter of the AADA. He taught acting there and also acted as stage manager (in today's terms, director or artistic director) for several productions at the Lyceum Theatre.The American Academy of Dramatic Arts ,History & Heritage
Career
She appeared in amateur theatricals with her parents as a child.
In 1913 at the age of 17 Curry had her first professional role touring with Doris Keane in Edward Sheldon's play Romance.
Curry played Miss Carpenter in Good Night, Nurse! , later renamed Sick-A-Bed, by Ethel Watts Mumford at the Tremont Theatre in Boston.Good Night Nurse at the Tremont Boston Globe, March 2, 1915
She also appeared in Cleves Kinkead's Common Clay with Jane Cowl.
She played the title character in Mary Broome at the Neighborhood Playhouse, part of the early 20th century Little Theatre Movement, similar to the off-Broadway movement of the 1950s. O. W. Firkins of The Weekly Review said of her "Miss Helen Curry as Mary Broome was perfect".O. W. Firkins "Mary Broome at the Neighborhood Playhouse", The Weekly Review, Jan – Jun 1920
In 1920 Curry appeared on Broadway with silent film star Theda Bara in The Blue Flame, a four-act play written by George V. Hobart and John Willard.Alexander Woollcott, The Play, The New York Times, Tuesday March 16, 1920. Retrieved January 28. 2019.
Death
Curry died November 15, 1931, at the age of 35 at her home in Norwalk, Connecticut an apparent suicide. She was interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut.
State register Curry's former home in Norwalk, CT is listed on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places.
References
External links
Helen Curry at AboutTheArtist