George Bernard Shaw once wrote: "An actress is more than a woman, and an actor is less than a man."
Women have been a part of the theatre for centuries. This was not always the case in many countries. Japan did not allow women in Kabuki or No theatre. Nor were there any actresses back in the days of William Shakespeare. It may be difficult to picture Juliet played by a boy of twelve or so, but that was very much the case in the late sixteenth century.
Actresses have been part of western theatre since Great Britain's restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660. They have been exploited, used, abused, promoted and demoted. Some of these women were strong people; others were not. Many were charming and/or charismatic. Sex has been, with rare exception, part of their professional lives.
Eleanor (Nell) Gwyn, "Sweet Nell of Old Drury," was the antidote to puritanism in the 1670s. She was the mistress of, successively, the actor Charles Hart, Lord Buckhurst, and King Charles II. She was known for her wit, charm, physical beauty, singing and dancing; she had a flair for comedy, and was arguably the world's first great stage comedienne. She bore King Charles two sons and died, aged 37, in November, 1687.
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., creator of the Ziegfeld Follies, was known for "Glorifying the American Girl." He did more than glorify them. His first marriage, to French star Anna Held, was a common law marriage. The love of his life was Lillian Lorraine, a show girl who graced several editions of the Follies. Lillian was beautiful but irresponsible and often senseless. She married playboy Frederick M. Gresheimer (whom she stole away from Fanny Brice) in March 1912, divorced him after a few months, remarried him in 1913, and then had this, their second marriage, annulled, claiming he had "misrepresented himself." Ziegfeld's wife, Billie Burke, once said that she was jealous of Lillian, but not Marilyn Miller, arguably her husband's greatest star. Ziegfeld, said Billie, idolized Marilyn Miller; but he loved Lillian Lorraine.
Marilyn Miller, in fact, hated Ziegfeld. Why? She and her boyfriend, Frank Carter, were both in the Follies of 1919. When the show was in rehearsals, she and Frank eloped and married. Ziegfeld was furious when he received the news and promptly fired Carter. Marilyn and Frank talked things over, and decided it was best that she stay in the Follies. Carter got a part in a titled See-Saw, produced by Henry W. Savage. When See-Saw closed in Wheeling, W. Va., at the end of the season, Frank called Marilyn and told her he was driving up to Philadelphia, where she was on tour with the Follies, and would see her in the morning. Marilyn begged him to wait until the next day, as driving at night in those days was hazardous. He drove that night, however, and lost his life when his car overturned. Carter was the love of Marilyn Miller's life, and she blamed Ziegfeld for his death. Those were, in certain ways, far gentler times, but Marilyn did not hesitate to call Ziegfeld a no-good son of a bitch and otherwise insult the man in front of his young daughter.
Producers of those days, while known for their affairs with prominent stage beauties, had to be extremely careful. A striking young woman once showed up in Ziegfeld's offices clad in a full-length mink coat. "I know that if Mr. Ziegfeld sees me in the right way," she told his secretary, "he will put me in the Follies." She thereupon walked into Ziegfeld's inner private office and dropped the mink coat to the floor. She was stark naked. Ziegfeld, flabbergasted, opened the door and yelled for his secretary to get the woman out of his office. Why? One never knew when one was being set up to be blackmailed.
There were other women, known to Ziegfeld, with whom he felt no real danger. Victor Herbert, the legendary composer, had written several pieces for the Follies for which he had not been paid; Flo Ziegfeld was a notorious staller when it came to paying bills. Herbert entered Ziegfeld's outer office and was told that Mr. Ziegfeld was not in that day. Herbert's face grew red with anger. He turned purple when the door to Ziegfeld's private office suddenly swung open. There was Ziegfeld, performing the ultimate sexual act with a show girl on his desk. Victor Herbert stormed out and, reportedly, suffered a stroke while waiting for the elevator.
There is no doubt that stars, directors, producers, and other powerful people of the stage have, at times, intimidated those of lower station into sexual affairs. There have also been cases in which those of lower station have seduced their higher ups to gain advantage. Much more common are the situations in which directors, stars, et. al., make sure that their paramours get jobs.
The theatre is a very social business; sex is an important part of life. This is not about to disappear.
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