Maude Banks

Biography: The talented headstrong daughter of General N.P. Banks, Maude Banks was raised as a creature of Bostonian High Society, but partook in more than a little of her father's audacity, gallantry, and theatricalism. In 1886 she ventured on the professional stage playing ingenue parts in Boston--"Camille," and "Little Em'ly." In 1887 her true spirit emerged in a successful performance in the title role of "Joan of Arc." She realized that her upbringing had equipped her to vivify the characters in Society dramas as well as woman hero plays. She tended toward roles in which she played powerful problem women, such as Honoria Forrester in "Her Evil Genius." Gen. Banks' death in 1894 vested Maude with a fortune.

NOTES: "Dramatical and Musical," Boston Journal (Nov 13, 1886). David S. Shields/ALS Source: http://broadway.cas.sc.edu/content/maude-banks