OBITUARY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22403, 27 April 1936, Page 12

OBITUARY

MADAM ALEXANDRA CARLISLE LEADING ENGLISH ACTRESS NEW YORK, April 23 The death has occurred of Madam Alexandra. Carlisle, one of the best known and most widely admired Shakespearean actresses in England and the United States during the past two decades. The late Madam Alexandra Carlisle was born in London in January, 1886, and first appeared on the stage when she was 17, playing the parte of Audrey in "As You Like It " and Maria in scenes from "Twelfth Night," performed at Lowther Lodge, Kensington. A month later she, played Rosie in " Whitewashing Julia," first at New-castle-on-Tyne and afterwards in London. In the next few years she achieved a number of successes, notably in 1906 as Carlotta in " The Morals of Marcus" at the Garrick Theatre, and in 1908 as Portia in Sir Herbert Tree's production of " The Merchant of Venice " and as Olivia in " Twelfth Night " which followed that play. For the next six years Madam Carlisle appeared alternately in New York and London. Among the chief parts which made her -no of the favourite actresses in both cities were Mrs. Baxter in " The Mollusc," Mrs. Oliver in "The Marriage Game"' and Diana Staffurth in " Driven." From 1915 she spent nearly all her time in the United States, creating a great variety of roles in many of the chief plays produced there. Americans were greatly impressed by the clarity and expressiveness of her voice.

jn 1920 Madam Carlisle took part in politics and during the Presidential election campaign she was the principal woman speaker. From 1928 to 1932 she was absent from the stage. On her return to play Lady Lebanon in "Criminal at Large" in October, 1932, the American Academy of Arts and Letters awarded her its gold medal for purity of diction.