Anne Meacham
Encyclopedia
Mary Anne Meacham was a noted American
actress of stage
, film
and soap opera
.
Born and raised in Chicago, Meacham left to study drama at Yale University
, graduating with a degree in 1947.
She is most famous for her roles on and off-Broadway, most notably in adaptations of plays written by Tennessee Williams
, who was a close friend. Williams once wrote an editorial in The New York Times
praising Meacham, noting "There's nothing she won't say or do onstage without any sign of embarrassment" (http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060119/news_1m19meacham.html).
She also portrayed roles in the Broadway productions of
Candide
and A Passage to India
. She won two Best Actress Obie Awards, one for her role as "Catherine Holly" (the first actress to play the role which was later essayed by Elizabeth Taylor
in the film version) in Tennessee Williams
'
Suddenly, Last Summer
(1958) and another for the title role in Henrik Ibsen
's Hedda Gabler
(1961).
She also appeared in The Gnädiges Fraulein in 1966, and In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel
in 1969. Her final Broadway credit was as Queen Gertrude in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in 1968. All of her stage appearances after 1968 (including In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel) were off-Broadway
.
. She played the role from 1972 to 1982. Meacham's character was most recognized for naming all of the Cory family's houseplants, which numbered well into the dozens.
The trademark of the Another World casting department was to hire heavily from the New York City
stage, and it was noted by author Annie Gilbert in the book, All My Afternoons, that Meacham was one of the many cast members taken from this genre in order to infuse strong acting performances into the show, due to her experience.
on January 12, 2006 at the age of 80. Her death was reported by her friend, actress Marian Seldes
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress of stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
, film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
.
Born and raised in Chicago, Meacham left to study drama at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, graduating with a degree in 1947.
New York stage
Meacham debuted on Broadway as Ensign Jane Hilton in 1952's The Long Watch (written by Harvey Haislip), for which she received a Clarence Derwent Award, given to outstanding newcomers to the New York stage.She is most famous for her roles on and off-Broadway, most notably in adaptations of plays written by Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III was an American writer who worked principally as a playwright in the American theater. He also wrote short stories, novels, poetry, essays, screenplays and a volume of memoirs...
, who was a close friend. Williams once wrote an editorial in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
praising Meacham, noting "There's nothing she won't say or do onstage without any sign of embarrassment" (http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060119/news_1m19meacham.html).
She also portrayed roles in the Broadway productions of
Candide
Candide
Candide, ou l'Optimisme is a French satire first published in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled Candide: or, All for the Best ; Candide: or, The Optimist ; and Candide: or, Optimism...
and A Passage to India
A Passage to India
A Passage to India is a novel by E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of English literature by the Modern Library and won the 1924 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. Time...
. She won two Best Actress Obie Awards, one for her role as "Catherine Holly" (the first actress to play the role which was later essayed by Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
in the film version) in Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III was an American writer who worked principally as a playwright in the American theater. He also wrote short stories, novels, poetry, essays, screenplays and a volume of memoirs...
'
Suddenly, Last Summer
Suddenly, Last Summer
Suddenly, Last Summer is a one-act play by Tennessee Williams. It opened off Broadway on January 7, 1958, as part of a double bill with another of Williams's one-acts, Something Unspoken. The presentation of the two plays was given the overall title Garden District, but Suddenly, Last Summer is...
(1958) and another for the title role in Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
's Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...
(1961).
She also appeared in The Gnädiges Fraulein in 1966, and In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel
In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel
- Synopsis :Mark is an alcoholic painter on the verge of a nervous breakdown who is trying to boost his sagging career by developing a new style in his Tokyo hotel room...
in 1969. Her final Broadway credit was as Queen Gertrude in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in 1968. All of her stage appearances after 1968 (including In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel) were off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
.
Television
On television, she was most famous for playing the eccentric Cory maid, "Louise Goddard", on Another WorldAnother World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
. She played the role from 1972 to 1982. Meacham's character was most recognized for naming all of the Cory family's houseplants, which numbered well into the dozens.
The trademark of the Another World casting department was to hire heavily from the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
stage, and it was noted by author Annie Gilbert in the book, All My Afternoons, that Meacham was one of the many cast members taken from this genre in order to infuse strong acting performances into the show, due to her experience.
Death
Anne Meacham died from undisclosed causes in Canaan, New YorkCanaan, New York
Canaan is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,820 at the 2000 census.The Town of Canaan is in the northeast part of the county.- History :The first settlers arrived around 1759....
on January 12, 2006 at the age of 80. Her death was reported by her friend, actress Marian Seldes
Marian Seldes
Marian Hall Seldes is an American stage, film, radio, and television actress whose career has spanned six decades and who was elected to the American Theatre Hall of Fame.-Life and career:...
.
External links
- 'Louise Goddard Brooks' character bio from The Another World Home Page