The Imprudent Young Couple
The play opened Sept. 23, 1895 at the Empire Theater. The play was by Henry Guy Carlton. Maude Adams played Marion. Her mother played Lucy, and John Drew played John Annesley and Ethel Barrymore played Katherine.
She played the part of Marion Dunbar, a frivolous young woman suffering the familial and financial consequences of a hasty, secret marriage.
She performed with her mother, Annie Adams.
The play was not successful, however, and closed after 16 performances.
From the Acton Davies book:
"The following season John Drew produced another play by Henry Guy Carleton, - That Imprudent Young Couple. It was a failure, but it gave Miss Adams another chance to do clever work in a new role. Indeed., Miss Adams had good reason to congratulate herself on this occasion,, for she and Mr. Frank Lamb,- who played the butler, were the only members of the company who escaped from the critics with whole skins. One New York reviewer wrote on the following day: "The story is old, the plot is uninteresting, and the part of the hero is an exceptionally fine specimen of the genus Cad. The character of the young wife is scarcely a degree better than that of the husband, and that Miss Adams was able to interest her audience at all last night was due entirely to the charm of her own personality. It is good to see that the remarkable success which has come to this young actress in the last three years has not turned her head. Her work is still exceptional in its daintiness and its simplicity."
"Her work has grown in many ways during the past year. At present Miss Adams is easily the most accomplished and womanly artist of all the younger actresses. She has found the short cut which leads from laughter into tears, and although last night she had only one chance to show her power in this respect in a neatly worded little homily on the poverty of the genteel poor, she availed herself of it. All the honors-such as they were - of last night's performance belonged to Miss Adams."
From the book Hear the Distant Applause! Six Great Ladies of the American Theatre by Marguerite Vance, 1963
Again, of The Imprudent Young Couple, a particularly caustic critic had this to say: "Miss Maude Adams is a delicious young actress. Her delicate discrimination and exceptional felicity in utterance, in manner and appearance had a great deal to do with the success of the evening."Hear the Distant Applause! Six Great Ladies of the American Theatre by Marguerite Vance, 1963
Reviews
A September 24, 1895 review went:
"Miss Maude Adams is a delicious young actress. Her delicate discrimination and exceptional felicity in utterance, in manner and appearance had a great deal to do with the success of the evening."
“Maud Adams invested the role of Marion with the charm of her captivating personality.” Dramatic Mirror, Sept. 28, 1895
“Miss Adams was quite as sweet and gentle as ever.” The Sun, Sept. 24, 1895
“Miss Adams is, as usual, piquant and whimsical; a dainty, birdlike heroine.” New York Times, Sept. 29, 1895
“Miss Maud Adams is a delicious young actress. She has a gentle and gracious nature, the charm of April sunshine, the sweet and lovely budding springtime, an unspoiled and dainty nature. Her acting in other plays has been praised worthily, but she has never done so well before as she did last night. She shared all the honors of the evening with the star, and in some scenes it was plain that th audience admired her acting even more than that of the star...Miss Maud Adams has reached a higher mark on the stage than any which she has touched before.” Tribune, Sept.24, 1895
 Steubenville Daily Herald, Sept. 28, 1895 |
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 The New York Times, Sept. 24, 1898 |
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