Evelyn Nesbit - Chorus Girl and Actress

Chorus Girl and Actress

Nesbit became disaffected and bored with the long hours spent in confined environments maintaining the immobile poses required of a studio model. Her popularity modeling had generated the interests of theatrical promoters, some legitimate and some disreputable, offering her acting opportunities. Nesbit pressed her mother to let her enter the theatre world, and Mrs. Nesbit ultimately agreed to let her daughter attempt this new way to augment their finances. An interview was arranged for the aspiring performer with John C. Fisher, company manager of the wildly popular play, Florodora, enjoying a long run at the Casino Theatre on Broadway. Mrs. Nesbit’s initial objections were softened by the knowledge that some of the girls in the show had managed to marry millionaires. In July of 1901, costumed as a “Spanish maiden,” Nesbit became a member of the show’s chorus line whose enthusiastic public dubbed them the “Floradora Girls.” Billed as “Florence Evelyn,” the new chorus girl was called “Flossie the Fuss,” by the cast, a nickname which displeased her, and induced her to change her theatrical name to Evelyn Nesbit.

After her stint as a “Floradora Girl” ended, Nesbit sought out other theatrical possibilities. She won a part in a production, which had just come to Broadway, The Wild Rose. After an initial interview with Nesbit, the show’s producer, George Lederer, sensed he had discovered a new sensation. He offered her a year contract, and more significantly, moved her out of the chorus line, and into a position as a featured player— the role of the Gypsy girl, “Vashti.” The publicity machine began to roll, possibly fueled by Stanford White’s influence, and she was hyped up in the gossip columns and theatrical periodicals of the day. On May 4, 1902, The New York Herald showcased her in a two-page article, liberally enhanced by photographs, promoting her rise as a new theatrical light, detailing her career trajectory from model to chorus line to key cast member. “Her Winsome Face to be Seen Only from 8 to 11pm,” the newspaper title announced to the public. The press coverage invariably touted her physical charms and potent stage presence; her acting skills were rarely mentioned.