Helena Modjeska - Shakespearian Actor #SweetheartsoftheWest

Another post in an ongoing look at early women performers that traveled or lived in the Old West.

Image from Wilipedia of Helena Modjeska

In Colorado, the Delta Independent of July 16, 1889 states "the great Modjeska is playing Denver this week."

So what was it about a women born in Krakow, Poland on October 12, 1840 that would warrant the above statement in a paper over one hundred miles away from Denver?

Born Helena Opid, Helena came from a family of performers. She married actor Gustov Modrzejewski , according to some resources his stage name, sometime in the late 1850's or early 1860.

In the 1860's Helena performed in Poland where she was a great success. However, Poland was not an easy country to live in during that time, as it was under Russian Imperial Rule. One incident made an impression on Helena. It seems some school children had come to see one of her performances. They gave her a bouquet tied with the Polish national colors. Allegedly the students were expelled from school and banned from admission to any other school because the were 'conducting a political demonstration'. The story goes, one student shot himself, and Helena attended his funeral.

In 1868 Helena married Karol Bozenta Chlapowski, who was known as Count Bozenta after the couple moved to the United States in 1876. The couple wanted to ranch and bought land in California and Helena retired from the stage. However, ranching proved to be a failure and Helena returned to the stage in 1877.  Helen struggled with English, but studied and overcame that drawback. Nonetheless, her stage presence overcame many obstacles.

This article from the February 24, 1883, The Terre Haute Express, Terra Haute, Indiana, seems to sum up Helena's early career:

Helena continued to enchant the theater goers both here in the United States and abroad. The following ad appeared in the July 11, 1889 issue of the Aspen Evening Chronicle, Aspen, Colorado. You will also note she is supported by the Booth-Barrett Company. Yes, it is Edwin Booth, brother of John Wilkes Booth. The Booth-Barrett Company was the premier theater company from 1889-1891.

The July 24, 1896 issue of the Denver Evening Post, Denver, Colorado, had this to say of Helena's career, " Madam Helena Modjeska's name will always be associated with the great triumphs of the English speaking stage." She was known as one of the great interpreters of Shakespeare, having performed most of his works. 

Helena died in Newport Beach, California on April 8, 1909.  She was survived by her husband and son Ralph Modjeska who was a well known civil engineer. Her body was returned to Krakow, Poland where she is buried.

The following appeared in the New York Time on July 3, 1909:

For those who would enjoy reading more, Helen's autobiography can be found online.

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Member of National League of American Pen Women,

Women Writing the West,

Pikes Peak Posse of the Westerners

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here 

Photo and Poem: Click Here 

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here