Editing Helena Modjeska (section)

==American career==
[[File:Helena Modrzejewska by Melecjusz Dutkiewicz (cropped).jpg|thumb|Modjeska, {{circa|1879}}]]
[[File:Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz - Portrait of Helena Modrzejewska - MNK II-a-20 - National Museum Kraków.jpg|thumb|''Helena Modrzejewska''. Portrait by [[Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz]], 1880.]]
On 20 August 1877, Modjeska debuted at the [[California Theatre (San Francisco)|California Theatre]] in San Francisco in an English version of [[Ernest Legouvé]]'s ''[[Adrienne Lecouvreur (play)|Adrienne Lecouvreur]]''. She was seen by theatrical agent [[Harry J Sargent (Theatre manager)|Harry J. Sargent]] who signed her for a tour on the east coast where she made her New York debut.{{sfn |Modjeska |1910 |p=336}}<ref>''San Francisco Chronicle'' (October 17, 2010) "Modjeska – Woman Triuimphant"</ref> She then spent three years abroad (1879–82), mainly in London, attempting to improve her English, before returning to the stage in America.{{sfn |Shattuck |1987 |p=128}} In 1880, she visited the [[The Lizard|Lizard Peninsula]] in Cornwall and on hearing that the parish church of [[Ruan Minor]] was in need of an organ she collaborated with [[Johnston Forbes-Robertson|Mr J Forbes-Robertson]] to put on a performance. ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' was performed on a temporary stage in the vicarage garden and watched by many local people. A resident of [[Penzance]] and soon-to-be member of parliament for the [[St Ives (UK Parliament constituency)|St Ives constituency]], [[Charles Campbell Ross]], played the part of [[Friar Laurence]].{{sfn |Cornish Weekly Newspapers |1880 |p=5}}

Despite her accent and imperfect command of English, she achieved great success.<ref>"Modjeska, Helena," ''[[Encyclopedia Americana]]'', 1986 ed., vol. 19, p. 313.</ref> During her career, she played nine Shakespearean heroines, Marguerite Gautier in ''[[The Lady of the Camellias|Camille]]'', and [[Schiller]]'s ''[[Maria Stuart (play)|Maria Stuart]]''. In 1883, the year she obtained American citizenship, she produced [[Henrik Ibsen]]'s ''[[A Doll's House]]'' in Louisville, Kentucky, the first Ibsen play staged in the United States. In the 1880s and 1890s, she had a reputation as the leading female interpreter of Shakespeare on the American stage.{{sfn |Shattuck |1987 |p=127}}

In 1893, Modjeska was invited to speak to a women's conference at the [[World Columbian Exposition|Chicago World's Fair]], and described the situation of Polish women in the Russian and [[Prussia]]n-ruled parts of dismembered Poland. This led to a [[Russian Empire|tsarist]] ban on her traveling in Russian territory.{{sfn |Modjeska |1910 |p=518}}

Modjeska suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed in 1897, but recovered and soon returned to the stage, continuing to perform for several additional years.{{sfn|Bordman|Hischak|2004|p={{page needed|date=October 2021}}}}

During her last stay in Poland, from 31 October 1902 to 28 April 1903, she appeared on the stage in Lwów, Poznań, and her native Kraków.

On 2 May 1905, she gave a jubilee performance in New York City. Then she toured for two years and ended her acting career, afterward only appearing sporadically in support of charitable causes.

Modjeska died at Newport Beach, California on 8 April 1909, aged 68, from  [[Bright's disease]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.modjeskawomantriumphantmovie.com/|title=Modjeska Woman Triumphant|website=www.modjeskawomantriumphantmovie.com|access-date=2010-04-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206005840/http://www.modjeskawomantriumphantmovie.com/|archive-date=2010-02-06|url-status=live}}</ref> Her remains were sent to Kraków to be buried in the family plot at the [[Rakowicki Cemetery]].

Her autobiography ''Memories and Impressions of Helena Modjeska'' was published posthumously in 1910. A Polish translation ran the same year in the Kraków newspaper ''Czas'' (Time). The last Polish edition of the book appeared in 1957.

Modrzejewska's son, Rudolf Modrzejewski ([[Ralph Modjeski]]), was a civil engineer who gained fame as a designer of bridges.{{sfn|Obst|2000}}{{sfn|Lerski |Wróbel|Kozicizi|1996|p=361}}