In 1898, Maude took her role as Lady Babbie in The Little Minister to the West Coast. Following this was Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. By May of 1898, Actress Maude Adams had performed in all of America's leading cities. After Romeo and Juliet she added further to her growing success in the plays L'Aiglon, Quality Street, and Joan of Arc.
Back to Maude's Roots
Maude never forgot the simple girl she had been. Often, between plays, she returned home to Utah
to visit. In time she owned a homestead and farm on Long Island. But having a country place near at hand to retreat to did not prevent her from suffering a nervous breakdown from overwork.
Childhood Once More
By 1904, J. M. Barrie had completed his play that would endure beyond belief. He called it Peter Pan. He had adapted the part of Peter especially for Maude. He wrote Maude, saying that she had inspired the beloved character of the boy who never grew up.
Maude Adams performed the part of Peter Pan in more than 1,500 performances. After the play was produced in Salt Lake City the director of St. Ann's Orphanage remarked that after the play the entire staff was kept busy preventing the children from attempting to fly out the windows.
Beyond Treading the Boards
As Maude's success as an actress grew she became interested in, and extremely proficient with, theatrical lighting. Enlisting the help of an electrician, she created the dimmer box, a main switchboard that controls every light used in the production of a play. Eventually, while working with General Electric Laboratories, she experimented with color lamps for movies. This led to her inventing a high-powered incandescent lamp that was later used to make color movies possible.
Maude Adams Heads West: Juliet and Joan of Arc Wait in the Wings continues with: Maude Adams Experiences Tragdies: Her Mother, Grandmother, and the Lusitania
Previous: Maude Adams Returns to the Stage: New York, Here She Comes.
