Edna May | |
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.jpg) May, c. 1907 | |
| Born | Edna May Pettie (1878-09-02)September 2, 1878 Syracuse,New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 1, 1948(1948-01-01) (aged 69) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1883–1907 |
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Edna May Pettie (September 2, 1878 – January 1, 1948), known on stage asEdna May, was an American actress and singer. A popular postcard beauty, May was famous for her leading roles inEdwardian musical comedies.
May was born inSyracuse, New York, to Edgar and Cora Petty. The family later changed the surname to "Pettie". Her siblings were Adelbert, Jennie and Marguerite.[1] At the age of 5, she played Little Willie Allen in a production ofDora. The next year, her performances "charmed a number of audiences lately with her child voice".[2] By the age of 7, she had joined a children's opera company and performedGilbert and Sullivan productions in Syracuse. She studied music at the New York Conservatoire as a teenager.[3]
May made her professional debut in 1895 inSi Stebbings in Syracuse. She then moved to New York to take the small role of Clairette inOscar Hammerstein's Broadway show,Santa Maria.[4] That year, she married Fred Titus, who held a world record for cycling. They had no children and divorced in 1904.[1]
In 1897, May played Violet Grey inThe Belle of New York with only moderate success. The following year, the production played in London, becoming a hit and running for 697 performances, making May a star. After that, among others, she played Gabrielle Dalmonte inAn American Beauty in London (1900), Olga inThe Girl from Up There (1901) in New York and then London, Edna Branscombe inThree Little Maids (1902), Lillian Leigh inThe School Girl (1903–1904) in London and New York, Say-So-San inThe Darling of the Guards (1904) in London,[5] Alesia inLa Poupée (1904) in London, and Angela inThe Catch of the Season (1905) in New York.The Belle of Mayfair followed in London in 1906. May played the title character inNelly Neil in London in 1907.
May was known for her beauty and received tremendous attention from male admirers. In 1907, she married millionaire Oscar Lewisohn and retired from the stage. The couple settled in England. They had no children, and Lewisohn died in 1917.[1]
May lived atWinkfield inBerkshire during her retirement, but made brief returns to the stage in 1911 benefit performances ofThe Belle of New York at theSavoy Theatre in London and 1915'sThe Masque of Peace and War in London. Also in 1911, she appeared in the filmForgotten; or An Answered Prayer. She starred in a 1916 film calledSalvation Joan, donating the proceeds to charity.[6]
She died inLausanne,Switzerland, at the age of 69.
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