Maude Adams: Idol of American Theater, 1872-1953

Front Cover
McFarland, Jul 22, 2004 - Performing Arts - 326 pages

Maude Adams (1872-1953) was a beloved and talented American Broadway actress who greatly influenced succeeding acting methods and production techniques. She first appeared on stage as an infant in her actress mother's arms, and then moved to a succession of children's parts. Her New York debut came in 1888, supported by E. H. Southern and then Charles Frohman, a demanding mentor. In 1905, she played her most famous role: the star of James M. Barrie's Peter Pan.

Beautiful, kind, and very private, this early American actress is chronicled in a biography covering both her life experiences and innovations on the stage.

 

Contents

Introduction
1
The Adams Heritage
3
Introduction to the Stage
13
Mastering Her Skills
29
Touring Adventures
44
An Ingenues Achievements
55
Under Frohmans Tutelage
73
First Steps to Stardom
89
Overwrought and Overworked
156
Return to Popularity
166
Peter Pan
185
Jesters to Joan
207
Hard Tasks Long Seasons
223
Sadness and Disenchantment
243
Dim Shadows and Bright Lights
257
viii
268

The Making of a Star
108
The Little Minister
120
Testing Her Skills
135
The Final Curtain
288
Chapter Notes
305
Copyright

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About the author (2004)

The late Armond Fields was a social historian specializing in American popular theater. The author of numerous books about vaudeville and other early theater figures, he lived in Culver City, California.

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