Kalita Humphreys

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Kalita Humphreys (1915/1916 - September 19, 1954)[1] was an American actress who was most active in repertory theatre.

Early years[]

A native of Galveston, Texas,[2] Humphreys was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Humphreys.[3] She graduated from Vassar College, where she portrayed Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra.[4]

Career[]

Humphreys was a prominent actress in Galveston Little Theater productions,[3] and acted in the Dallas Little Theatre.[4]

Humphreys's first professional summer stock theater experience came at the Westchester Playhouse in New York, where she worked with Henry Fonda, Myron McCormick, Mildred Natwick, and Margaret Sullavan, among others.[4] She was active in productions of the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia,[2] having leading roles with co-stars including Gregory Peck and Charles Korvin. Other venues in which she performed included Bridgehampton Theatre, Old Town Theatre, and Sayville Playhouse.[4]

Humphreys's Broadway debut had her playing a Swedish girl in Everywhere I Roam (1938). She also performed in Let's Face It! (1941) on Broadway.[5] Shortly before her death she appeared in a 10-week run of Affairs of State in the Alley Theatre in Houston.[6]

In other professional activities, Humphreys served as director of the Federal Theatre Project in Dallas[4] and was a member of the Barter Theatre's board of directors.[1] She also was a volunteer speaker for the American National Theater and Academy, with a focus on Texas theaters[4] and both directed and acted with the Valley Players, a little theatre group in Liberty, Texas.[7]

Personal life[]

Humphreys was married to Joe K. Burson. They lived in Liberty, Texas,[1] where he managed the estate that she inherited from her father.[8]

Death[]

On September 19, 1954, Humphreys and Burson were killed when the small plane in which they were riding crashed at the base of Pinnacle Mountain, near Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania. She was 38.[1] They were on their way to a month's vacation in New York.[8]

Legacy[]

In 1959, Humphreys's mother donated $100,000 to the building fund of the Dallas Theater Center. In return, a new Frank Lloyd Wright-designed theater unit was named the Kalita Humphreys Theater.[9] By July 1963, the theater had a company of 14 actors and presented nearly 250 performances annually.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Former Barter Actress, Mate Crash Victims". The Bristol Herald Courier. Tennessee, Bristol. September 22, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved April 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "B&PW Will Sponsor Barter Theatre Play". Elizabethton Star. Tennessee, Elizabethton. July 15, 1949. p. 5. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Kalita Humphreys To Star in USO Theater Play". The Galveston Daily News. Texas, Galveston. July 18, 1943. p. 6. Retrieved April 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Actress Finds Wish Come True in 'Barretts' Here". Waco Tribune-Herald. Texas, Waco. June 11, 1950. p. 19. Retrieved April 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Kalita Humphreys". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  6. ^ "Kalita Humphreys". Variety. September 22, 1954. p. 71. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  7. ^ "Stars in Houston". The Liberty Vindicator. Texas, Liberty. July 15, 1954. p. 2. Retrieved April 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b "Actress killed in plane". The Kansas City Times. Missouri, Kansas City. Associated Press. September 20, 1954. p. 2. Retrieved April 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Theatre Unit in Dallas". The New York Times. June 7, 1959. p. 79. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  10. ^ Taubman, Howard (July 2, 1963). "Theater: Wright Playhouse Used by Dallas Group". The New York Times. p. 15. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
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