Actress. Born Maude Kiskadden in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mormon parents with a theatrical mother, she began her career at the age of nine months, when she was carried on stage by her mother during a Salt Lake City stock company production. She took speaking roles as soon as she could talk while adopting her actress mother's maiden name (Adams) for the stage. At five she was a success in San Francisco, California in the play "Fritz" and at 16, she joined Edward H. Sothern's company in New York City, New York, making her debut on the Broadway Stage, and becoming its most prolific star. Her performances included regularly appearing opposite John Drew in "Masked Ball and Rosemary" and top billing as 'Lady Babble' in James M. Barrie's "The Little Minister. It was her portrayals of Barrie characters that brought her the greatest acclaim. She performed the leading role in "Peter Pan" in more than 1,500 performances receiving an unheard of $20,000 a month. Her more dramatic roles included William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," the title role in Johann Von Schiller's "Joan of Arc and Napoleon II", Edmond Rostand's "L'Aiglon, and was popular in "Sarah Bernhardt and Eva La Galliene." While guest at the Cenacle of St. Regis convent in New York City, New York, she began a lifelong association with the nuns. In 1917 she made a gift to them of her estate at Lake Ronkonkoma on Long Island, New York for a novitiate and retreat house. She retired still in her prime with continued activity in the theater. For a time, she worked at the General Electric laboratories collaborating on a system of high-powered lamps which became useful in future production of movies using color film. After occasional stage appearances, she began teaching drama at Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri and finally retired completely and disappeared from public view. She was staying at her Caddam Hill summer home in Tannersville, New York where she lay down in her parlor for a nap and passed away. She was never married and her body was transferred to Lake Ronkonkoma and interred without fanfare among the Sisters of St. Regis in the Cencle Convent Cemetery. Today, the estate at Ronkokoma is still an ecclesiastic retreat for the sisters of the order but now a museum to the memory of Maud Adams.

Suggested edit: In reading the obit for Maude it says that she was never married and had no children. But there is a child (Helen S Ludvigson Scheilisted) for her. when reading the obit for the Helen S Ludvigson Schei the newspaper clipping states that her parents are Anton & Elisha Ludvigson, not Maude Adams. just wondering if Maude is really the parent. thanks
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