HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OLIVE LOGAN
(April 22, 1839 - April 27, 1909)

"A chronicler of life behind the scenes, a theatre historian,
but not a very good actress."

Olive was the fifth of eight children of Irish-American actor and playwright Cornelius Ambrosius Logan.  Her younger sisters Alice, Grace and Kate appeared on the stage; notably in the American debut of Lydia Thompson, considered the first burlesque performance in America, at Wood's Museum in New York in September, 1868.  The theatre just happened to be owned by George Wood, Olive's brother-in-law.

Olive's first experience on the stage, at the age of five, was as Cora's child in Pizarro and later as Damon's child in Damon and Pythias.  She had a minor acting career as a young adult, and went abroad for a number of years.  She was compelled to return to America after some financial and personal hardships.  But in 1865 she appeared at Wallack's Theatre in New York in Eveleen, which she wrote and later became a lecturer earning as much as $15,000 a year. Some of her lectures were on woman suffrage. She spoke at the 1869 convention of the American Equal Rights Association and was a contributor to The Revolution. She contributed to numerous periodicals of the day using her own as well as her pen name, "Chroniqueuse". Of her later years Publishers Weekly reported: "She was married three times, the last to her secretary James O'Neill (who was 20 years her junior and not to be confused with Eugene O'Neill's actor-father.) For years little was heard of Olive Logan...Then one morning an old woman, dressed in rusty black, who carried an ear trumpet, went into the Tombs court to apply for a summons for her husband, whom she charged with drunkenness and non-support. She said her name was Olive Logan and that her husband was a watchman on Ellis Island.  When the news of her destitution reached England, Lady Cook...sent her funds and later, provided for her care in London.   Without Lady Cook's knowledge, Olive Logan, who had become demented was committed to the asylum at Banstead, England where she died.

       She wrote several books on theatrical matters including Before the Footlights and Behind the Scenes (1870)  which was cited often by future theatrical history writers and critics as a primary source for authentic details about the theatre of her day.