The Washington herald., 1911-05-21
+MAUDE ADAMS A
PUBLIC INFLUENCE
From Hampton's Masazine for June

from Hampton's Magazine for June.
How Is a phenomenon like Maude
Adams to be explained? Even those who
love her hesitate to claim for her a
dramatic genius of the first order, like
that OF Bernhardt or Duse. And II she
lacks genius. she does not atone for 1t
with any world-enslaving beauty. She
Is little home-like woman, with gentle,
intimate sraces. a fanciful elfin humor.
retiring. shy. and unworldly. yet at thir-
weight she finds herself the most con-
splcuous figure upon the English speak,
ing stage. the most notable woman in a
nation OF hundred million of people.
rev living men have a fame so wide
spread; probably none a personal inf1u-
ence SO vital or far-reaching Each year
sne plays to half a million people. She
cares little for money. yet she earns, prob
ably. twice the salary OF the President
or the United States, and her gross earn
Ing power for her manager. capitalized
az per cent, is in the neighborhood Of
$4,000 COO.
Successful as she is in New York. her
importance is even greater throughout
the smaller, less distracted cities. and no
geographical areas appear to limit her
popularity. South, West North, and
East her playhouses are equally crowded
She seems, in fact, to be the embodiment
OF something national. to speak for her
time and countrymen with a peculiar
authority.
To comprehend the meaning of such
lie and its activities We are forced TO
search history for analogies. and that
search shows us that life seems to use
such persons as instruments to further
spiritual progress and civilization In fact,
the agencies of our evolution have been
IN lar ge measure the artists and heroes.
The hero with his faculty for original
thought and action shows the new and
higher possibilities Of conduct. The art
ISL celebrates them and at length the
world lives them. So the world has
grown better from the eminently strong
and eminently sweet persons that have
lived in 1t and from those who have
interpreted them
AT the outset, Maude Adams must be
accepted somewhat as a force of this
KIND, as an evolution-working personality
luminous with sweetness and light. even
more than as an artist; as a public in
nuence even more than as an actress.
For her fame is beyond her artistic
achievement, large and real as that un-
questionably is. The main current of her
force Is ethical rather than aesthetic.
Her appeal is fundamentally to character.
she inspires conduct rather than INTEL
lectual interest. In a curious manner
she combines both the evolution working
hero and artist in one person, reaching
her highest moments as an actress when
she is expressing herelf. II We take any
other view OF her we soon come upon
many stumbling blocks
Maude Adams Kiskadden was born in
lSI2- Mr.. Kiskadden was of Irish descent
His wife Was New England woman. an
Adams, collaterally related to the family
or the Presidents. Mrs. Kiskadden, who
was known on the stage by her maiden
name, Annie Adams, was leading woman
or a stock company in Salt Lake City.
Ctah. when her daughter was born. 1t
Is an interesting fact for those who re-
meet on the mutations of human fortune
and estate. that just thirty-seven years
later the mayor and aldermen officially
received that daughter and presented her
with the freedom Of the city OF her birth.
AT the age of nine months Miss Adams
made her first appearance in the theater.
the title role In piece called
The Lost Child" Thus the stage claim
ed her and became her home from the
hrst. AT the age of seven she was playing
Little Schneider with ]. K Emmett in
his Fritz plays. and subsequently as
Crystal with James O'Neil In "Chums."
II. Ous-hus nTuoiS-dged Americans
must remember the child in these once
popular pieces who have never realized
that that child afterward became Maude
Adams.