Grace Hayward (1868 â€" 1959) was an American playwright and
actress.Hayward was born in 1868 in Terre Haute, Indiana and in 1884,
she moved to Mount Carmel, Illinois. Her father was a mail carrier and
travel agent. At 13 years old, she ran away from home so that she
could be a part of a medicine show. She raised money for feminists
including Grace Hall Hemingway. She was married to Chicago theater
mogul George Gatts.In 1901, Hayward started her own theater company
with 15 actors, known as the Kerosene Circuit. The Kerosene Circuit
performed at the Warrington Opera House from 1909 to 1914. The company
performed new shows almost every Monday, including George M. Cohan
musicals and comedies that were written by Hayward. The Kerosene Unit
usually sold out of the 1,500 seats at the Warrington Opera House.
Broadway actor Charles Dingle was a part of the theater company.
Beginning around 1913, the company became unsuccessful with some of
the actors joining the film industry. The company disbanded in 1920
and Hayward moved to Hollywood as a playwright and radio scriptwriter.
Her 1936 play The CCC Murder Mystery was successful although a
Syracuse Post-Standard reviewer stated that "no Broadway audience
would appreciate it".Hayward died in 1959 in Hollywood. Doug Deuchler
wrote a play about Hayward's life in 1990.
actress.Hayward was born in 1868 in Terre Haute, Indiana and in 1884,
she moved to Mount Carmel, Illinois. Her father was a mail carrier and
travel agent. At 13 years old, she ran away from home so that she
could be a part of a medicine show. She raised money for feminists
including Grace Hall Hemingway. She was married to Chicago theater
mogul George Gatts.In 1901, Hayward started her own theater company
with 15 actors, known as the Kerosene Circuit. The Kerosene Circuit
performed at the Warrington Opera House from 1909 to 1914. The company
performed new shows almost every Monday, including George M. Cohan
musicals and comedies that were written by Hayward. The Kerosene Unit
usually sold out of the 1,500 seats at the Warrington Opera House.
Broadway actor Charles Dingle was a part of the theater company.
Beginning around 1913, the company became unsuccessful with some of
the actors joining the film industry. The company disbanded in 1920
and Hayward moved to Hollywood as a playwright and radio scriptwriter.
Her 1936 play The CCC Murder Mystery was successful although a
Syracuse Post-Standard reviewer stated that "no Broadway audience
would appreciate it".Hayward died in 1959 in Hollywood. Doug Deuchler
wrote a play about Hayward's life in 1990.
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