Isabel Pearse


Isabel Althea Hussa Pearse was an American actress who starred in theatre. She performed with the Montgomery Players at the Montgomery Playhouse in Montgomery County, Maryland. Pearse also performed at the Players Playhouse in Detroit, Michigan. She was a descendant of reformer Jan Hus.

Early life and education

Pearse was born in Montclair, New Jersey to Theodore Hussa and Cora Warbutton Hussa on Oct. 26, 1912. Her father, Theodore Hussa, worked as a textile engineer and inventor. Pearse graduated from the Beard School in Orange, New Jersey in 1930. Pearse then studied acting under noted Russian actress Maria Ouspenskaya.

Acting career and war service

Pearse acted for 40 years in roles in New York City, Detroit, Michigan, and Maryland. In 1944, she performed the role of Ruth in the play Blithe Spirit with the Montgomery Players. The performance earned her the Washington Critics Award for best actress. In 1957, Pearse performed in Edward Mabley's comedy Glad Tidings at the Players Clubhouse in Detroit. She played the role of Maud Abbott. The book Detroit on Stage describes news coverage from the time that characterized her performance as "provocative, maddening, witty, and always decorative." During World War II, Pearse drove an ambulance for the American Red Cross.

Family

In 1940, Pearse married Bearnard Paul Pearse. Bearnard Pearse, a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, served in the U.S. Navy.