DESMOND, MAE

(1887-1982)

   Born Mary Veronica Callahan to Irish immigrant parents in Philadelphia, the actress-manager grew up reciting for family and church members and attending performances of the local stock company. She joined the Chestnut Street Theatre's stock company and took Mae Desmond as her stage name. She married actor Frank Fielder in 1908. She held leading lady positions in various theatres and cities, but in 1917, formed her own company, the Mae Desmond Players, in Schenectady. Two seasons later, she established a foothold in her native Philadelphia. The Desmond Players gained a loyal following for their moral tone and family-friendly productions over a period of 50 years. Desmond and her husband lived into their nineties, becoming icons of Philadelphia theatre.