The Lights Were Already On: Maude Adams’ Legacy at Stephens College

There's a portrait that watches over the Macklanburg Playhouse. If you've ever performed there, you've seen it—Maude Adams, eyes just over your shoulder as you step into the light. The original Peter Pan. A Broadway icon. But more than that: a pioneer in theatrical lighting and the former head of the drama department at Stephens College.

Students say her ghost still lingers backstage. But students see ghosts all over Stephens. It's that kind of place—part conservatory, part Hogwarts, part memory palace. A place where theatre isn't just studied or staged, but felt. In the wood of the risers, in the hush before cue one, in the ghosts who don't take curtain calls.

I studied here. I taught here. And I came to understand that Stephens teaches something deeper than technique: it cultivates artists who think across disciplines. Who light and direct and perform and design—sometimes in the same week. That cross-pollination isn't an accident. It's the legacy of people like Maude Adams.

Stephens College has evolved over time, maintaining its identity as a women's college while now offering an all-gender Conservatory for the Performing Arts. The institution recognizes that artistic training benefits from diverse perspectives, while still honoring its commitment to women's education that dates back to 1833.

This isn't a correction. It's a connection. Between performance and production. History and future. What we build and what we illuminate.

Maude Adams: Beyond Neverland

Maude Adams was more than Broadway's Peter Pan. She was one of the highest-paid and most beloved actresses of her time. Her intelligence, quiet strength, and ability to command a stage with grace made her a legend. But her legacy at Stephens—and in theatre history—reaches far beyond her performances.

Maud Adams

Image from Maude Adams as Peter Pan on Broadway.

Born in Salt Lake City in 1872, she first appeared on stage at just nine months old in "The Lost Baby." By five, she was regularly performing with her actress mother. Her career would span decades, culminating in her iconic portrayal of Peter Pan beginning in 1905—a role that defined her in the public imagination but barely scratched the surface of her contributions to American theatre.

What many don't realize is that Adams was notoriously private. She gave few interviews, avoided photographers, and lived much of her life away from the spotlight she so masterfully commanded on stage. This duality—between public performer and private innovator—would come to define her later years and her impact on theatre education.

The Lighting Innovator

Adams wasn't content just to stand in the spotlight—she wanted to reinvent it. Throughout her performing career, she was constantly tinkering with theatrical lighting, pushing against the limitations of early 20th-century technology.

From 1905 to 1915, she partnered with lighting engineer Bassett Jones, experimenting to create more dynamic effects. Her 1909 production of "The Maid of Orleans" showed what she could do—not only did she play Joan of Arc, but she designed a revolutionary lighting scheme with colored cues that transformed the stage.

After retiring from performance in 1918, Adams dove headfirst into lighting research. Working with General Electric and Eastman Kodak, she contributed significant innovations to theatrical lighting. Her work was so groundbreaking that she was eventually named as lead inventor on several patents—pretty remarkable for a former actress in the male-dominated world of engineering.

In 1937, at 65, Adams brought this unique blend of performance and production expertise to Stephens College. President James Madison Wood invited her to "make the theater program what it needed to be," and she did exactly that. Her vision for theatre education combined artistic expression with technical knowledge—a philosophy that still shapes the Stephens approach today.

Inge and Adams: Crossing Paths

Between 1938 and 1943, another notable name quietly joined the faculty at Stephens: William Inge. The future Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, not yet known for Picnic or Bus Stop, was just beginning to find his voice.

During those same years, Maude Adams was head of the drama department. We don't know if they collaborated directly, but their paths definitely crossed in the hallways and classrooms of Stephens.

After his time at Stephens, Inge became the drama critic for the St. Louis Star-Times. His experiences at an all-women's college likely influenced the nuanced female characters that would later populate his most famous works.

Adams, meanwhile, was teaching students that great theatre requires both performance talent and production knowledge. Her favorite play to teach was "Chantecler," about a rooster who believed his crowing caused the sun to rise—perhaps a metaphor for the way she saw performers and production artists working together to create theatrical magic.

It's a reminder that artistic lineages don't always show up in textbooks. Sometimes they live in shared spaces, chance conversations, and values passed from teacher to student.

The Okoboji Model: Embodying Maude Adams' Legacy

One of the most powerful expressions of Stephens' philosophy lives off-campus: the Okoboji Summer Theatre in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Owned and operated by the college since 1958, it's where students truly embody the spirit of Maude Adams by balancing performance and production with a passionate love for the craft.

Just as Adams seamlessly moved between starring on Broadway and innovating with lighting technology, Okoboji students learn to cross boundaries with the same devotion to theatrical artistry. This isn't about becoming a jack-of-all-trades; it's about developing a holistic understanding of theatre as Adams did—recognizing that great art emerges when all elements work in harmony.

What makes Okoboji special isn't just what students learn—it's how they learn to love every aspect of the theatrical process. The program cultivates Adams' spirit of curiosity and innovation. Students don't participate in production work because they have to; they do it because they develop a genuine passion for understanding the entire theatrical ecosystem.

The current model is intense but transformative—7 productions in 8 weeks. Everyone contributes across disciplines with the same dedication Adams brought to both her performances and her lighting research. Performers help build sets with the same care they bring to character development. Designers approach production roles with the same creative

energy they apply to their design work.

This immersive experience creates not just versatile theatre artists but passionate advocates for the craft itself—professionals who, like Adams, see beyond specializations to the magic of theatre as a unified art form. The summer stock model creates a community of practice where students learn that great theatre requires both technical expertise and artistic vision, just as

Adams demonstrated throughout her remarkable career.

Having worked with the summer theatre for the past 14 years, I've watched countless students discover what Adams knew all along: that the love of the craft transcends any single role or responsibility. Students leave Okoboji with more than skills and connections—they leave with Adams' spirit of artistic wholeness, carrying her legacy forward into their own careers.

A Tradition of Comprehensive Theatre Education

Perhaps the most lasting impact of Adams' legacy at Stephens is the college's approach to theatre education. Rather than forcing early specialization, Stephens encourages students to explore both performance and production, understanding that theatrical excellence comes from comprehensive knowledge.

This approach creates graduates who understand not just their own role, but how it connects to every other part of a production. They've gone on to become influential designers, performers, directors, and artistic leaders—professionals who solve problems collaboratively.

Today, the Conservatory for the Performing Arts continues this legacy of comprehensive education, welcoming students of all gender identities into a program that honors both tradition and innovation. What remains constant is the Stephens commitment to fully rounded theatre education—seeing design, performance, and production not as separate territories but as interconnected elements of a unified artistic vision.

A Shared Light

There's something magical that happens when you watch a student discover their own version of Maude Adams' dual passion. During my years teaching at Stephens, I've witnessed this transformation countless times—the moment when understanding dawns and they embrace both sides of theatrical creation.

In my third year of teaching, two performing arts students approached me about doing a Scenic Practicum. Though their focus had been performance, they were curious about the production side. We worked on props for two mainstage productions that semester, and I was continually impressed by their initiative. They took on leadership roles, ensuring all rehearsal props were in place and ready. I taught them basic scenic construction techniques, and when I unexpectedly couldn't make it to the shop one day, they built two benches entirely on their own—applying their newfound skills with the same dedication they brought to character development.

One of these students later received the Maude Adams award before graduation—a fitting recognition for someone who had embraced Adams' holistic approach to theatre. That student didn't just follow one path; she understood that performance and production are two sides of the same creative coin. In her, I saw Adams' legacy living on.

This is what makes the Stephens’ approach so distinctive. We don't just teach students to perform or design; we nurture that spark of curiosity that drives them to ask: "How does it all work together?" It's visible in their notes (blocking diagrams next to construction plans), in their conversations (actors discussing technical elements with designers), and in their careers (graduates who move fluidly between roles, bringing a comprehensive understanding to each).

From Student to Teacher: The Cycle Continues

The most powerful aspect of the Stephens model is how it perpetuates itself. Students become teachers, carrying the integrated approach into their own classrooms and theatres.

I recognize this in my own journey—how my time as a student shaped my approach as an educator. How I learned that the best theatre happens when everyone speaks each other's language, at least a little.

Students work in the scene shop at the Okoboji Summer Theatre.

This is the true legacy of Adams and those who followed: not just plays produced or careers launched, but a philosophy that theatre is strongest when it's holistic. When performers understand design principles and designers understand performance needs.

In a world that pushes for hyper-specialization, this approach feels more valuable than ever. Not because specialists aren't needed, but because even specialists need context. Need community. Need to see beyond their own discipline.

If there's a ghost light still glowing in the Macklanburg, it's not just because someone left it on. It's because someone like Maude Adams taught us never to turn it off.

FAQs

Who was Maude Adams?

Maude Adams was a legendary Broadway actress best known for Peter Pan and an innovator in stage lighting. She headed Stephens College's drama department from 1937–1949 and helped develop better theatrical lighting with General Electric.

What is the Okoboji Summer Theatre?

Okoboji is Stephens College's summer stock theatre company in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Students produce 7 productions in 8 weeks, learning every aspect of theatre production while building valuable professional connections.

What makes Stephens College theatre training unique?

Stephens breaks down barriers between disciplines. Students learn the full production process from concept to closing night, creating theatre artists who understand how all the pieces fit together.

Did Maude Adams and William Inge ever collaborate?

No documented collaboration exists, but they were both on faculty at Stephens between 1938–1943, potentially influencing each other and definitely shaping the program's approach to theatre education.

Is Stephens College still exclusively a women's college?

While Stephens remains primarily a women's college, since 2022 the Conservatory for the Performing Arts has welcomed students of all gender identities, recognizing that diverse perspectives enhance artistic training.