Déclassée more commonly known as Declassee, is a 1919 play by Zoe Akins. A three-act drama with as many settings, it has twenty-five speaking parts. The action of the play takes place over three years time. The story concerns a English noblewoman who loses her place in society through pride, caprice, misplaced affection, and adherence to her own code of honor.
The play was produced by the business heirs of Charles Frohman, and staged by Iden Payne. It starred Ethel Barrymore, with Vernon Steele and Claude King in support. It had a brief tryout in Atlantic City during October 1919, and premiered in Manhattan the same month. It ran the entire season on Broadway, ending in May 1920 after 262 performances. Burns Mantle included Déclassée among his compilation of The Best Plays of 1919-20.
Déclassée was adapted for a 1925 silent film of the same name, and for a 1929 early talkie called Her Private Life.
Characters Characters are listed in order of appearance within their scope.
Lead Lady Helen Haden is a spirited and extravagant English lady of colorful ancestry, last of her line.She is the daughter of an earl, and so referred to in the play's dialogue as "Lady Helen" rather than "Lady Haden", or "Helen, Lady Haden" after her divorce, as the wife of a baronet normally would be. Supporting Harry Charteris is an artistic upper class friend of Lady Helen, who he adores but cannot afford. Edward Thayer is a young American mining engineer who Lady Helen has befriended and sponsored in society. Rudolph Solomon is a New York City self-made multi-millionaire; middle-aged, cultured and wise. Featured Lady Wildering called Edith, is Sir Emmett's American wife and a friend of Lady Helen. Mrs. Leslie called Rena, is twice-widowed, shallow and an ingrate to Lady Helen who sponsored her. Charlotte Ashley is a popular English actress, also a friend of Lady Helen. Sir Emmett Wildering is an author and professional diplomat, later ambassador to America. Sir Bruce Haden is Lady Helen's husband, a loutish but successful butcher awarded a baronetcy. Jean is the head waiter at the hotel, who has had occasion to wait upon Lady Helen in several cities. Zellito is a Spanish Gypsy, a dancer and amateur fortuneteller, who prefers generosity to fidelity in men. Alice Vance is the gentle star of a Broadway musical, a reformed kleptomaniac, and in love with Rudolph. Walters is the butler to Rudolph Solomon.This character is referred to as The Servant in the published play. Count Paolo del Magiore is a young Italian man Mrs. Leslie brings to Solomon's house. Uncredited and bit players Brandon is the butler to Sir Bruce Haden. Miss Timmins is a middle-aged spinster, secretary to Lady Helen Haden. The Young Man, The Young Woman, and The Older Woman; The Man and The Woman; hotel lounge patrons. The Waiter The Three Wonderful Waltons, Croatian acrobats in New York, guests of Lady Helen at tea. Hotel orchestra and servants
Synopsis Zoe Akins had a self-confessed abhorrence for rewriting plays, and insisted Déclassée was presented on stage as she first imagined it. She specified further that only two minor cuts and one important deletion from the original play were made by Iden Payne in staging it.
Act I (The drawing room of Sir Bruce Haden's London home. Evening) The scene opens on the aftermath of an argument at a bridge party. Sir Bruce Haden has accused Edward Thayer and Mrs. Leslie of cheating, and ordered Thayer to leave. Lady Helen sprang to Thayer's defense, saying she would leave too unless Sir Bruce apologized. This much is learned from the conversation of Harry Charteris, Sir Emmett Wildering, Charlotte Ashley, Mrs. Wildering, and Mrs. Leslie before the three antagonists appear. Thayer appears first, as the ladies fetch Lady Helen back from her room. To everyone's surprise, Sir Bruce Haden apologizes to Thayer. Lady Helen and Thayer have a long discussion; he reminds her she led him to believe she cared in the letters she wrote. But Lady Helen says that he was only a passing interest to her, and that they must not see each other again. The bridge games resume, and there is a momentary darkening of the stage to denote the passage of an hour. As the light rises, a furious Lady Helen excoriates Thayer and Mrs. Leslie for cheating again. She astonishes Thayer by insisting he now apologize to Sir Bruce. Thayer refuses; his reputation will be ruined if Sir Bruce talks. Thayer threatens to show her letters to Sir Bruce if she insists. Disgusted, Lady Helen calls Sir Bruce and the others back into the room and starts to tell them everything. (Curtain)
Act II (The lounge of a Manhattan deluxe hotel. Three years later, late Friday afternoon.) The scene opens on a busy lounge room, with numerous tables occupied by bit players, whose conversation provides the following exposition: Sir Emmett Wildering, newly appointed ambassador, and Lady Wildering are on their way to Washington, D. C. They meet Charlotte Ashley, now appearing in a Broadway play, for tea. Lady Helen enters, and arranges a table with Jean for some guests coming later. She too comes in for background gossip, this time by the Wilderings and Charlotte, whom she hasn't yet seen. It appear that Sir Bruce waited a year before divorcing her, and in the two years since has remarried and acquired twin sons. Now enter Zellito and Alice Vance, and again the bit players' talk identifies them and gives their stories. The two women are seated by Jean, who next greets Lady Helen. Harry Charteris, who also came to New York, has joined the other English at their table. Spotting them at last, Lady Helen braces herself and approaches their table. They greet her in a cautious but friendly way, and make plans to get together soon. Lady Helen now joins the guests at her table as the English quartet depart. Rudolph Solomon is also there, and The Three Wonderful Waltons. Lady Helen senses Alice's disquiet at Rudolph's attention to her. Later, when they are alone, Lady Helen rejects Rudolph's suggestion to keep her, because Alice really loves him. Nevertheless, she accepts his invitation for a dinner party next Friday. As the check arrives, Lady Helen pulls off a pearl ring, her last jewel, and presents it to Jean, to cover the bill and the waiter's tip. (Curtain)
Act III (The home of Rudolph Solomon. One week later, a Friday evening.) Lady Helen is delighted to see the exquisite items Rudolph Solomon has collected in Europe, including some treasures that once belonged to her own ancestors. She explains to Lady Wildering and Charlotte that the Gainsborough portrait on one wall is her own great-grandmother, who fell off a horse and died at age 30. Harry Charteris urges Lady Helen to stop her reckless ways and let someone take care of her. She is touched, but tells him "if I were your mother I would not let you marry me". Harry urges her to accept Rudolph then and stop drifting. Alice Vance arrives late and tells Rudolph she has given notice to her musical and will leave for Paris. She knows his fascination for Lady Helen and will set him free to pursue her. Rudolph presents Lady Helen with a string of pearls, made from those she had previously sold. He then tells her about Alice, and hints at marriage but does not propose yet. Lady Helen is ready to acquiesce, but the sudden uninvited entrance of Mrs. Leslie ends this opportunity. Mrs. Leslie is aghast at Lady Helen's presence and cuts her, at which Harry Charteris reminds her of how she cheated at cards in Lady Helen's home. Mrs. Leslie blames Edward Thayer, at which Rudolph suddenly has an epiphany: it is Thayer whom Lady Helen once loved but rejected. Thayer is now wealthy from diamond mines he discovered in South Africa, and is coming to the party. Determined to reunite them, he tells Lady Helen that he now thinks they shouldn't marry, then goes off to find Thayer. Lady Helen has misunderstood; she thinks even Rudolph now rejects her. Taking off the pearls, she wanders out into the street and is hit by a taxi cab. Mortally injured, she is brought into the house but dies as Thayer tries to tell her he loves her. (Curtain)
Original production Background Ethel Barrymore precipitated the writing of this play by giving a public recitation of a poem by Zoe Akins. The author then decided to write a play for Barrymore. Akins said she wrote this very quickly, starting from the idea of a woman who loses social position but not her sense of self. Her main theme was the loneliness of the situation, which the author augmented by putting her into a city and land strange to her. Akins sold the play to Charles Frohman, Inc., which in July 1919 announced its production for the coming season, to star Barrymore.
When Charles Frohman died in 1915, his heirs formed Charles Frohman, Inc. to continue his theatrical business. Charles Frohman, Inc. held Ethel Barrymore's contract and produced the plays in which she appeared. By July 1919, however, Charles Frohman, Inc. was owned by Famous Players–Lasky, part of growing trend in which movie money was financing Broadway stage productions. The play's advent came as negotiations between the Actors' Equity Association and the Producing Managers Association broke off and a general strike was called in August 1919. Ethel Barrymore informed Charles Frohman Inc. that she would not attend rehearsals of Zoe Akins' new play until the strike was settled. The strike was settled by September 6, 1919, and the title of the as yet unnamed play was soon announced as Déclassée.
Claude King and Julian Royce were both brought over from London to support Ethel Barrymore. Beatrice Beckley and Katherine Harris were the next cast members announced, with the rest of the principals named by September 23, 1919.
Cast + Principals only from the Atlantic City tryout through the Broadway run. Role Actor Dates Notes and sourcesLady Helen HadenEthel BarrymoreOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920The theatre was dark for four performances in late March 1920 due to her laryngitis.Harry CharterisCharles FrancisOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920Edward ThayerVernon SteeleOct 02, 1919 - Apr 01, 1920Leslie AustenApr 02, 1920 - May 15, 1920Rudolph SolomonClaude KingOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920Lady WilderingClare EamesOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920Charlotte AshleyBeatrice BeckleyOct 02, 1919 - Apr 23, 1920Beckley left to join her husband James K. Hackett on a European tour.TBDApr 24, 1919 - May 15, 1920Mrs. LeslieKatherine HarrisOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920Ethel Barrymore surprised society by urging her ex-sister-in-law be cast for this character.Sir Emmett WilderingJulian RoyceOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920Sir Bruce HadenHarry PlimmerOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920JeanAlfred HesseOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920ZellitoGabrielle RavineOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920A Belgian actress who had success in Paris before coming to New York.Alice VanceMadeline DelmarOct 02, 1919 - Dec 20, 1919Delmar left for a part in Earl Carroll's new comedy The Way to Heaven.Margaret GreeneDec 22, 1919 - May 15, 1920WaltersFrank McCoyOct 02, 1919 - Oct 04, 1919McCoy was used only in the Atlantic City tryout.Edward Le HayOct 06, 1919 - May 15, 1920Count PaoloRalf BelmontOct 02, 1919 - May 15, 1920
Tryout Déclassée had a three-day tryout starting October 2, 1919 at Nixon's Apollo Theatre in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The local critic said "the story suggests the pages of Thackeray", and noted "the appearance of Miss Barrymore is always a theatrical event". They judged the second act had some weaknesses, the third act worked only because of Barrymore, but they also wondered how a collision with a taxi cab could leave a woman so unmarked as Lady Helen was at the end of the play. Their summery of the play was its "undercurrent throughout is of sadness pitched in a minor key".
Broadway premiere and reception