Allene Crater
Allene Crater | |
---|---|
Denver, Colorado | |
Died | August 13, 1957 | (aged 80)
Occupation | Actress |
Spouse | |
Relatives | Dorothy Stone, Paula Stone, Carol Stone (children) |
Allene Crater (December 1876 – August 1957) was an American actress born in
She died in 1957 after suffering a heart attack, with news of her death being initially withheld from her husband due to concerns about his own ill health.
Early life
Crater was born in
Career
Early performances
She made her debut on stage at the age of 13, after securing a small part as a peasant with the help of the manager of the Denver stock company. On the night of her debut, she bid her parents goodnight at home before sneaking out through the back door and making her way to the theater.[4] During her early performances, she was spotted by David Handerson and his 'Sinbad' company. Henderson offered her a job with his company and she went on to travel with them for two years.[3] One of her earliest professional roles was playing Princess Badroulbadour in the 1894 stage musical Aladdin Jr., where it was remarked that she sang and danced "with a delightful naivete".[5] She started performing in this role from May 1894,[6] During later performances in 1895, critics described her as "a dream of a girl, fresh and sweet", while noting she had been one of the surprises at the opening performance.[7]
Late 1890s
In 1898, the stage manager of the Parry Opera Company remarked that she was among the hardest working during rehearsals, noting she had secured the role in Aladdin due to the original actress getting hysterical under the bluster of the stage director.[8] Other performances towards the end of the 1890s included The Ballet Girl in 1897 and Miss Simplicity, where she was noted as singing a number of known songs. She was signed by Harry Conor in early 1899 for the musical A Trip to Chinatown, shortly before traveling to Australia.[3]
20th century
Around 1902, while in England, she took the part of the
Crater performed in several musicals during the early 20th century, often with a hiatus between productions, including having been absent for several years when she performed in the musical Jack O'Lantern.[12]
Personal life
Crater met her future husband Fred Stone while working professionally on the musical production of The Wizard of Oz,[4] which they performed together for around four years.[13] They married after a seven-month courtship,[14] in July 1904.[15] The couple only announced their marriage the following month, which surprised friends and family.[16] Together, they had three daughters, the eldest being Dorothy Stone and two younger daughters Paula and Carol.[17] They were life-long friends of Frank E. Butler and Annie Oakley.[18]
Crater died in hospital on August 13, 1957, following a heart attack. The news of her death was initially kept from her husband, due to concerns that he would not cope well with the news; he was only informed once a doctor was present, over a week later.[19]
Performances
Stage
- Aladdin Jr. (1894–95)
- The Ballet Girl (1897)
- Miss Simplicity (1898)
- A Trip to Chinatown (1899)
- The Wizard of Oz (1902)
- The Red Mill (1906–07)
- The Old Town (1910)
- The Lady of the Slipper (1912–13)
- Chin-Chin (1914–15)
- Jack O'Lantern (musical) (1917–18)
- Stepping Stones (1923–24)
- Criss Cross (1926–27)
- Ripples (1930)
References
Citations
- ^ "1900 United States Federal Census for Allena H Crater". Ancestry.com. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
- ^ "1880 United States Federal Census for Allie L Crater". Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Ancestry.com.
- ^ a b c d e Fields 2002, p. 106.
- ^ a b c "Makes home for her rolling stage family". Falls City Daily News. August 14, 1929. p. 2.
- ^ "At the Theaters". The Saint Paul Globe. October 23, 1894. p. 4.
- ^ "Stage Gossip - Allene Crater joins Aladdin Jr cast". Star Tribune. May 27, 1894. p. 20.
- ^ "English's 'Aladdin, Jr.' To-Night". The Indianapolis Journal. January 24, 1895. p. 3.
- ^ "Crater is "hardest working" in rehearsals". Evening Star. June 18, 1898. p. 24.
- ^ a b Fields 2002, p. 107.
- ^ "Allene Crater with the 'Wizard of Oz'". The Minneapolis Journal. January 7, 1906. p. 17.
- ^ Fields 2002, p. 109.
- ^ "'Jack O'Lantern' an emphatic hit". Philadelphia Inquirer. September 26, 1917. p. 6.
- ^ "A Pretty Romance of the Footlights". The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 4, 1919. p. 44.
- ^ Fields 2002, p. 110.
- ^ Fields 2002, p. 114.
- ^ Fields 2002, p. 115.
- ^ "Stone Family Famous". The Miami Herald. September 24, 1925. p. 34.
- ISBN 9780806135069.
- ^ "Ailing actor is unaware wife died". Winston-Salen Journal. August 25, 1957. p. 8.
Sources
- Fields, Armond (2002). Fred Stone: Circus Performer and Musical Comedy Star. McFarland. ISBN 9780786411610.