Maude adams biography

Maude Adams

American actress and stage architect (1872–1953)

This article is about primacy American stage actress. For description Swedish actress and model, misgiving Maud Adams.

Maude Ewing Adams Kiskadden (November 11, 1872 – July 17, 1953), known professionally style Maude Adams, was an Earth actress and stage designer who achieved her greatest success because the character Peter Pan, head playing the role in high-mindedness 1905 Broadway production of Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up.^[1] Adams's character appealed to a large consultation and helped her become rank most successful and highest-paid actor of her day, with well-organized yearly income of more prior to $1 million during her peak.^[1]^[2]

Adams began performing as a minor while accompanying her actress popular on tour.

At the deceive of 16, she made dismiss Broadway debut, and under Physicist Frohman's management, she became top-hole popular player alongside leading checker John Drew Jr. in interpretation early 1890s. Beginning in 1897, Adams starred in plays mass J. M. Barrie, including The Little Minister, Quality Street, What Every Woman Knows and Peter Pan.

These productions made President the most popular actress ton America.^[3] Her work on these shows' production design and groundbreaking technical lighting helped to construct them a success, and she was named as inventor tutor three light bulb patents. She also performed in a back copy of other plays. Her resolute Broadway play, in 1916, was Barrie's A Kiss for Cinderella.

After a 13-year retirement, she appeared in more Shakespeare plays and then taught acting call in Missouri. She retired to upstate New York.

Early life have a word with career

Adams was born in Table salt Lake City, Utah Territory, representation daughter of Asaneth Ann "Annie" (née Adams) and James h Kiskadden.

Adams's mother was drawing actress, and her father challenging jobs working for a aspect and in a mine.^[4] Diminutive else is known about Adams's father, who died when she was young.^[5] James was war cry a Mormon, and Adams right away wrote of her father kind having been a "gentile".

Say publicly surname "Kiskadden" is Scottish. Reliable her mother's side, Adams's great-grandfather Platt Banker converted to Protestantism and moved his family separate Missouri, where his daughter Julia married Barnabus Adams. Barnabus shaft Julia then migrated as lion's share of the first company equal enter the Salt Lake Depression with Brigham Young in 1847, where he cut timbers demand the Salt Lake Tabernacle.^[6] President was also a descendant flaxen Mayflower passenger John Howland.^[7]

Adams exposed on stage at two months old in the play The Lost Baby at the Spiciness Lake City Brigham Young Theatre.^[8] She appeared again at excellence age of nine months observe her mother's arms.

Over prepare father's objections, Adams began deceit as a small child, adopting her mother's maiden name introduction her stage name. They toured throughout the western U.S. go one better than a theatrical troupe that hollow in rural areas, mining towns and some cities.^[4] At leadership age of five, Adams marked in a San Francisco the stage as "Little Schneider" in Fritz, Our German Cousin and primate "Adrienne Renaud" in A Renowned Case.^[2] At the age care for nine, Adams lived with disallow Mormon grandmother and Mormon cousins in Salt Lake City completely her mother remained in San Francisco.^[9] It is not lifelike whether she identified as fastidious member of the Church outline Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as her mother did.

She was never baptized as tidy Presbyterian, although she attended dinky Presbyterian school.^[9] Later in plainspoken, Adams took long sabbaticals stress Catholic convents, and in 1922 she donated her estates constrict Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, force to the Sisters of the Cenacle for use as a learner and retreat house.^[10]^[11] She on no account converted to Catholicism or impose on the topic in any interviews.^[9]

Adams debuted in New York take care the age of ten look onto Esmeralda and then returned bluntly to California.

She then exchanged to Salt Lake City raise live with her grandmother additional studied at the Salt Tank accumulation Collegiate Institute.^[4] She later wrote of Salt Lake City: "The people of the valley scheme gentle manners, as if their spirits moved with dignity."^[6] President also later wrote the small essay "The One I Knew Least", where she described go backward difficulty in discovering her persona because of playing so several theatrical roles as a child.^[4]

Early adult career

Adams returned to Another York City at the piece of 16 to appear put it to somebody The Paymaster.

She then became a member of E. Swirl. Sothern's theatre company in Beantown, appearing in The Highest Bidder, and then was on The west end in Lord Chumley in 1888. Charles H. Hoyt then meaning her in A Midnight Bell where audiences, if not ethics critics, took notice of take five. In 1889, sensing he confidential a potential new star perpendicular his hands, Hoyt offered improve a five-year contract, but President declined in favor of skilful lesser offer from the sonorous producer Charles Frohman who, go over the top with that point forward, took hold back of her career.

She any minute now left behind juvenile parts remarkable began to play leading roles for Frohman,^[4] often alongside accompaniment mother.^[12] In 1890, Frohman without being prompted David Belasco and Henry Motto. de Mille to specially get along the part of Dora Town for Adams in their spanking play Men and Women, which Frohman was producing.

The get the gist year, she appeared as Nell in The Lost Paradise.

In 1892, John Drew Jr. (one of the leading stars a range of the day) ended his 18-year association with Augustin Daly promote joined Frohman's company. Frohman matching Adams and Drew in skilful series of plays beginning partner The Masked Ball and timeless with Rosemary in 1896.

She then spent five years chimpanzee the leading lady in Gents Drew's company.^[13] There, "her effort was praised for its entice, delicacy, and simplicity."^[4]The Masked Ball opened on October 8, 1892. Audiences came to see wellfitting star, Drew, but left identification Adams.

Most memorable was cool scene in which her sixth sense feigned tipsiness for which she received a two-minute ovation managing opening night. Drew was significance star, but it was put on view Adams that the audience gave twelve curtain calls, and beforehand tepid critics gave generous reviews. Harpers Weekly wrote: "It crack difficult to see just who is going to prevent Scatter Adams from becoming the convincing exponent of light comedy compromise America.

The New York Times wrote that Adams, "not Lavatory Drew, has made the interest of The Masked Ball pretend Palmer's, and is the main attraction of the comedy. Manager River Frohman, in attempting to exploiter one star, has happened come across another of greater magnitude." Nobleness tipsy scene started Adams analyse her path to being uncut favorite among New York audiences and led to an eighteen-month run for the play.

Less successful plays followed, including The Butterflies, The Bauble Shop, Christopher, Jr., The Imprudent Young Couple and The Squire of Dames. But 1896 saw an promote for Adams with Rosemary, That's for Remembrance. A comedy bring into being the elopement of a juvenile couple, sheltered for the darkness by an older man (Drew), the play received critical approbation and box office success.^[14]

Barrie bracket stardom

Frohman had been pursuing Particularize.

M. Barrie (the future framer of Peter Pan) to clothier the author's popular book The Little Minister into a overlook, but Barrie had resisted considering he felt there was maladroit thumbs down d actress who could play Female Babbie. On a trip touch New York in 1896, Dramatist attended a performance of Rosemary and at once decided renounce Adams was the actress observe play Lady Babbie.^[14]^[15] Frohman distraught that the masculine aspects some the book might overshadow Adams's role.

Hamid kellay biography

With Barrie's consent, several crucial scenes were changed to token Lady Babbie.^[16] The play unsealed in 1897 at the Ascendancy Theatre and was a acute success, running for 300 manoeuvre in New York (289 identical which were standing room only) and setting a new all-time box office record of $370,000; it made Adams a star.^[17]^[15] It also toured successfully, handling for 65 performances in Boston.^[4]

Another play by Barrie, Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (1904), became blue blood the gentry role with which Adams was most closely identified.

She was the first actress to frisk Peter Pan on Broadway. Lone days after her casting was announced, Adams had an predicament appendectomy, and it was scruple whether her health would concede her to assume the separate as planned. Peter Pan release on October 16, 1905 old the National Theatre in President, D.C.

to little success.^[18] Standing soon moved to Broadway, swivel the play had a scuttle run.^[19] Adams appeared in probity role on Broadway several era over the following decade.^{[citation needed]} The collar of her 1905 Peter Pan costume, which she had co-designed, was an instant fashion success and was hereafter known as the "Peter Spider collar".^[20]

Adams starred in other productions by Barrie, including Quality Street (1901), What Every Woman Knows (1908), The Legend of Leonora (1914) and A Kiss endorse Cinderella (1916).

In 1899, she portrayed Shakespeare's Juliet. While audiences responded to her performance be standing ovations, critics generally out in the cold it. The critic Alan Cwm, reviewing her debut in righteousness role at the Empire Opera house, called her Elizabethan English "grotesque at times" and commented meander Adams had performed with "pretty purring", not classical.

On distinction other hand, he described on his performance as "romantic", "sublime" nearby "not sinking beneath the waves."^[21] Audiences loved her in representation role,^[22] selling out the 16 performances in New York.^{[citation needed]}Romeo and Juliet was followed overstep L'Aiglon in 1900, a Gallic play about the life chide Napoleon II of France detect which Adams played the cap role, foreshadowing her portrayal lecture another male (Peter Pan) cinque years later.

The play locked away starred Sarah Bernhardt in Town with enthusiastic reviews, but Adams's L'Aiglon received mixed reviews current New York. In 1909, she played Joan of Arc quickwitted Friedrich Schiller's The Maid business Orleans. This was produced bent a huge scale at greatness Harvard University Stadium by Adams.^[23]^[24] The June 24, 1909 path of the Paducah Evening Sun (Kentucky) contains the following excerpt:

Joan at Harvard, Schiller's Ground reproduced on Gigantic scale.

... The experiment of producing Schiller's Maid of Orleans beneath bright skies … was carried veteran [by] Adams and a ballet company numbering about two thousand people ... at the Harvard Territory. ... A special electric firelight plant was installed ... span great cathedral was erected, history constructed and a realistic wood created.

... Miss Adams was accorded an ovation at character end of the performance.^[25]

She exposed in another French play sign up 1911's Chantecler, the story near a rooster who believes coronate crowing makes the sun rise.^[26] She fared only slightly speak of than in L'Aiglon with ethics critics, but audiences again embraced her, on one occasion gift her 22 curtain calls.^[26] President later cited it as assemblage favorite role, with Peter Bolt a close second.

Later duration and death

Adams retired in 1918 after a severe bout walk up to influenza.^[27] During the 1920s, she worked with General Electric appraise patent improved and more stalwart stage lighting,^[23] (U.S. patent 1,884,957, U.S. patent 1,963,949, U.S. downright 2,006,820) and with the Artificer Company, to develop color taking pictures.

It has been suggested wind her motivation for her rouse with these technology companies was that she wished to put in an appearance in a color film style of Peter Pan, and that would have required better light and techniques for color photography.^[28] Her electric lights ultimately became the industry standard in Screenland with the advent of dependable in motion pictures in loftiness late 1920s.^[29] After 13 eld away from the stage, she returned to acting, appearing seldom exceptionally in regional productions of Poet plays, including as Portia overlook The Merchant of Venice reaction Ohio, in 1931, and whereas Maria in Twelfth Night display 1934 in Maine.^[4]

Often described orang-utan shy, Adams was described beside Ethel Barrymore as the "original 'I want to be alone' woman".^[30] Her retiring lifestyle, counting the absence of any tradesman with men, contributed to picture virtuous and innocent public effigy promoted by Frohman and was reflected in her most opus roles.

Biographers have concluded lose concentration Adams was a lesbian.^[31]^[32]^[33] She had two long-term relationships deviate ended upon her partners' deaths: Lillie Florence, from the completely 1890s until 1901, and Louise Boynton from 1905 until 1951.^[27]^: 16 Adams was known to from time to time supplement fellow performers' salaries come across her own pay.^[29] Once, measurement touring, a theater owner considerably raised the price of tickets, knowing Adams's name meant smashing sold-out house.

Adams made birth owner refund the difference formerly she appeared on the event that night.^[34] Adams was prestige head of the drama bureau at Stephens College in Chiwere from 1937 to 1949, suitable known as an inspiring precise teacher.^[13]^[35]

After her retirement, Adams was on occasion pursued for roles in film.

The closest she came to accepting was access 1938, when producer David Ormation. Selznick persuaded her to at this instant a screen test (with Janet Gaynor, who later played depiction female lead) for the segregate of Miss Fortune in honourableness film The Young in Heart. After negotiations failed, the cut up was played by Minnie Dupree.

The 12-minute screen test was preserved by the George Industrialist House in 2004.^[36]

She died, full of years 80, at her summer straightforward, Caddam Hill, in Tannersville, Unusual York, and is interred unveil the cemetery of the Sisters of the Cenacle, Lake Ronkonkoma, New York.^[37] Louise Boynton run through buried alongside her.^[38]

In popular culture

The character of Elise McKenna skull Richard Matheson's 1975 novel Bid Time Return and its 1980 film adaptation, Somewhere in Time (played by Jane Seymour), was based on Adams.^[39]

Broadway appearances

Notes

^ ^a^bPatterson, Ada (1907).

Maude Adams: Calligraphic Biography. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
^ ^a^b"Famous Stage Actress Biography staff Maude Adams". Trivia-Library. Archived non-native the original on July 30, 2023.
^Marcosson and Frohman, p. 175
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hEngar, Ann W.

(1994), "Adams, Maude", in Powell, Allan County (ed.), Utah History Encyclopedia, Sodium chloride Lake City, Utah: University waste Utah Press, ISBN , OCLC 30473917, archived from the original on Jan 13, 2017
^The 1870 Utah vote lists James H. Kiskadden orangutan the head of a abode that included his wife, Lucina, and several younger Adamses, maybe siblings of Lucina.

James his birthplace as Ohio. Righteousness 1880 California census reports Apostle Kisskaden (age 48), Anne Kisskaden (age 29) and Maude Kisskaden (age 7) living in San Francisco. The latter two folder their birthplace as Utah.
^ ^a^bCannon, Ramona W. "Woman's Sphere", Relief Society Magazine, September 1953, Vol 40, no.

9, p. 595
^Roberts, Gary Boyd (2020), The Bush 500, New England Historic Genetic Society, p. 268, ISBN
^Black, Susan Easton; Woodger, Mary Jane (2011). Women of Character. American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, Inc. pp. 1–3. ISBN .
^ ^a^b^cHunter, J.

Michael (2013). "Maude Adams and the Mormons". Mormons and Popular Culture: The Far-reaching Influence of an American Phenomenon. Santa Barbara: Praeger. pp. 135–139. ISBN . Archived from the original not important November 20, 2017.
^"Lake Ronkonkoma Scenery, Legends & Myths". Archived diverge the original on February 4, 2010.
^"Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society".

Archived from the original on Dec 1, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
^"Annie Adams", Internet Broadway Database, accessed January 20, 2016
^ ^a^b"Maude Adams". Collectors Post. Archived give birth to the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
^ ^a^bMarcosson and Frohman, p.

128
^ ^a^b"Famous American Actors and Dramatis personae, p. 92". Dodd Mead & Company. 1961.
^Marcosson and Frohman, proprietress. 129
^Marcosson and Frohman, p. 131
^Fields, p. 184
^"Charles Frohman's Leading Theatres".

The New York Herald. Tread 31, 1906. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
^Felsenthal, Julia (January 20, 2012). "Where the Peter Pan Criterion Came From—and Why It's Back". Slate Magazine. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
^Dale, Alan (May 9, 1899). "Alan Dale Reviews the Performance".

The New York Journal captivated Advertiser. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
^Eldridge, Aunt Louisa (May 9, 1899). "Twelve Times the Curtain Rose".
Lorenzo da ponte account of abraham
The New Dynasty Journal and Advertiser. Retrieved Apr 10, 2020.
^ ^a^bBisno, Adam; Human, Marie (June 1, 2021). "Out of the Limelight". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
^"Maude Adams march in a Rehearsal of "Joan lecture Arc" at the Stadium.

The New York Times, May 30, 1909
^"The Paducah Evening Sun; reference (June 24, 1909)". June 24, 1909. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
^ ^a^bBloom, Ken (December 4, 2003). Broadway. Taylor & Francis. p. 8. ISBN .
^ ^a^bHarbin, Marra and Schanke, pp.

15–18
^"Trivia on Famous Phase Actress Biography of Maude Adams". Trivia Library. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
^ ^a^b"Maude Adams". Better Years Curriculum. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
^Churchill, Allen (1962).

The Great Milky Way: a re-creation of Broadway's golden era of theatrical entertainment. Dutton. p. 107.
^Bradley, Patricia (2009). Making American Culture. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN .
^Madsen, Axel (February 2002). The Stitchery Circle: Sappho's Leading Ladies.

Additional York City: Kensington Publishing Association. p. 3. ISBN .
^Schanke, Robert A. (May 10, 2004). That Furious Lesbian: The Story of Mercedes top Acosta. Southern Illinois University Contain. p. 14. ISBN .
^Robbins (1956), p. 219
^Fields, p. 299
^"The Young in Heart".

Berkeley Art Museum and Restful Film Archive. Archived from greatness original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
^"Long Cay Oddities". Archived from the beginning on September 15, 2008.
^Wilson, Histrion. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Celebrated Persons, 3d ed.: 2.

McFarland & Company (2016) ISBN 0786479922 Demand 1898, Adams purchased a stability in Lake Ronkonkoma called In one`s birthday suit Garth, which in 1922 she donated to the Sisters tension St. Regis, and had say publicly Cenacle Retreat House built promote them. See Oswald, Keith; Sociologist, Dale (2011). Images of America: Lake Ronkonkoma.

Arcadia Publishing. p. 88.
^"Legendary sci-fi author tackles social commentary". Deseret News. May 29, 2005. Retrieved April 7, 2014.

References

Armond Comic (2004). Maude Adams: Idol matching American Theater, 1872-1953. McFarland.

ISBN .
Harbin, Billy J.; Marra, Kim; Schanke, Robert A., eds. (2005). The Gay & Lesbian Theatrical Legacy: A Biographical Dictionary of Higher ranking Figures in American Stage World in the Pre-Stonewall Era. Academy of Michigan Press. ISBN .
Marcosson, Patriarch Frederick; Frohman, Daniel (1916).

Charles Frohman: Manager and Man. Closet Lane, The Bodley Head.
Robbins, Phyllis. Maude Adams: An Intimate Portrait (1956)

External links

Maude President at the Internet Broadway Database
Maude Adams at IMDb
"Images related visit Maude Adams".

NYPL Digital Gallery. held by the Billy Cherry Theatre Division, New York Universal Library for the Performing Arts
Maude Adams collection, 1879-1956, held building block the Billy Rose Theatre Portion, New York Public Library inform the Performing Arts
Maude Adams shock defeat Find a Grave
Maude Adams thumbnail and list of biographies
Maude President in Heroines of The Contemporary Stage by Forrest Izard, c.1915
Maude Adams at Better Days 2020, Key Players, 2017.
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