Carlotta Nillson (February 25, 1876 – December 30, 1951) was a Swedish-born American actress who appeared in at least ten Broadway productions over the first decade of the twentieth century. She was probably best remembered for her portrayal of Rhys Macchesney in the play ''The Three of Us''.

Early life

Carlotta Nillson was born on February 25, 1876, in Småland, Sweden and was raised by her widowed mother. When she was about ten her mother brought her to America where they first settled in Wisconsin and later Minnesota. Nillson's mother was very poor at the time and it was soon decided that she should live with a more affluent neighbor with a large family. Though too young to be a

nanny A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...

, Nillson was expected to entertain the younger children of the household. Because of her circumstances Nillson was not a happy child (later describing herself as being "born old") and at first found this chore somewhat challenging. This she overcame when it was discovered she had a knack for conjuring up

fairy tales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...

rich with

goblins A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on th ...

, sea pirates and

fairies A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, of ...

who lived in ice caves along the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

. Several years later Nillson and her mother moved to San Francisco where the young teenager managed to be hired as a

walk-on Walk On may refer to: Music * ''Walk On'', a 1994 album by Boston, and its title song Albums * ''Walk On'' (Boston album), 1994 * ''Walk On'' (John Hiatt album), 1995 * ''Walk On'' (Randy Johnston album), 1992 *''Walk On'', a 2007 album by ...

player with Madame Modjeska's stock company. Nillson's stage debut followed in a road production of

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...

's play ''

Mary Stuart Mary Stuart or Mary Stewart may refer to: People *Mary Stewart, Countess of Buchan (before 1428–1465), fifth daughter of James I of Scotland, 1st Countess of Buchan *Mary of Guelders (c. 1434–1463), queen to James II of Scotland * Mary Stewart, ...

''. Modjeska had noticed how emotional Nillson became during Mary's (Modjeska) execution scene and cast her as one of the maids that accompanied the Scottish Queen to the scaffold.

Career

Carlotta Nillson later moved to New York where she worked for

Augustin Daly John Augustin Daly (July 20, 1838June 7, 1899) was one of the most influential men in American theatre during his lifetime. Drama critic, theatre manager, playwright, and adapter, he became the first recognized stage director in America. He exer ...

for a time and then went on a grueling forty-week tour of one-night stands as the ingénue in

William Gillette William Hooker Gillette (July 24, 1853 – April 29, 1937) was an American actor-manager, playwright, and stage-manager in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best remembered for portraying Sherlock Holmes on stage and in a 1916 ...

's ''The Private Secretary'' (a.k.a. ''Digbey's Secretary'') and later toured in John Stetson's ''The Crust of Society''. After touring in

Bronson Howard Bronson Crocker Howard (October 7, 1842 – August 4, 1908) was an American dramatist. Biography Howard was born in Detroit where his father Charles Howard was Mayor in 1849. He prepared for college at New Haven, Conn., but instead of ente ...

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

play ''Shenandoah'', Nillson decided to take some time off to hone her craft in England under the tutelage of

William Farren Jr. William Farren Jr. (28 September 1825 – 25 September 1908) was an English actor. Life He was born in London, the son of actor William Farren (1786–1861), brother of Henry Farren (1826–1860) and uncle of Nellie Farren. Beginning life as a ...

and

Geneviève Ward Lucy Geneviève Teresa Ward, Countess de Guerbel, DBE (27 March 1837 – 18 August 1922), also known as Countess de Guerbel and, sometimes, albeit inaccurately, as Dame Geneviève Ward, was a United Kingdom-based American-born Russian sop ...

. She returned to the theatre in 1898 as Mrs. Dasney in the

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

production of Pearl Craigie's ''The Ambassador'' at the

St. James Theatre The St. James Theatre, originally Erlanger's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 246 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, it was designed by Warren and Wetmore in a neo-Georgian style a ...

and the following year at

Terry's Theatre Terry's Theatre was a West End theatre in the Strand, in the City of Westminster, London. Built in 1887, it became a cinema in 1910 before being demolished in 1923. History The theatre was built in 1887, near Fountain's Court, on the site of a ...

as Evelyn in ''The Happy Life''. Nillson made her Broadway debut as the slave girl Eunice, in a revival of

Stanislaus Stange Stanislaus Stange (1862–1917) was a playwright, librettist and lyricist who created many Broadway shows in the '' fin-de-siecle'' era and early 20th century. After minor success as an actor, Stange made his career as a writer in the musical theatr ...

's ''

Quo Vadis ''Quō vādis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you marching?". It is also commonly translated as "Where are you going?" or, poetically, "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Pet ...

'' in December 1900 at the Academy of Music Opera House and would remain in demand throughout the decade in Broadway productions and road tours. She was probably best remembered by audiences of that time for her performances as Mrs. Elvsted in ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'' opposite

Minnie Maddern Fiske Minnie Maddern Fiske (born Marie Augusta Davey; December 19, 1865 – February 15, 1932), but often billed simply as Mrs. Fiske, was one of the leading American actresses of the late 19th and early 20th century. She also spearheaded the fig ...

, the title role in Pinero's ''Letty'' and Rhys Macchesney in the

Rachel Crothers Rachel Crothers (December 12, 1878 – July 5, 1958) was an American playwright and theater director known for her well-crafted plays that often dealt with feminist themes. Among theater historians, she is generally recognized as "the most succes ...

play ''The Three of Us'', over its long run at the

Madison Square Theatre ''The Madison Square Theatre'' was a Broadway theatre in Manhattan, on the south side of 24th Street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway (which intersects Fifth Avenue near that point.) It was built in 1863, operated as a theater from 1865 to 1908, ...

. She twice played the title role in C. M. S. McLellan's melodrama ''

Leah Kleschna ''Leah Kleschna'' is a drama in five acts by C.M.S. McLellan produced for the first time on Broadway by Minnie Maddern Fiske, Harrison Grey Fiske and the Manhattan Company with set design provided by Frank E. Gates and E. A. Morange. The play o ...

'', first in the silent film version (her only film released by the

Famous Players Film Company The Famous Players Film Company was a film company founded in 1912 by Adolph Zukor in partnership with the Frohman brothers, powerful New York City theatre impresario. History Discussions to form the company were held at The Lambs, a famous ...

) in 1913 and then in a road production produced by

Daniel Frohman Daniel Frohman (August 22, 1851 – December 26, 1940) was an American theatrical producer and manager, and an early film producer. Biography Frohman was born to a Jewish family in Sandusky, Ohio. His parents were Henry (1826–1899) and Ba ...

a year or two later. In 1913 Nillson formed the Deborah Company and began a tour of North America playing the title role in ''Deborah'' by William Legrand Howlaind. ''Deborah'' was a story about a sheltered young woman who desperately wanted to have a baby. The play premiered in Toronto in May 1913 and was soon shut down and the cast arrested after some objected that the play was immoral. A judge later squashed the charges and the play reopened in June at Toronto's Princess Theatre and ran for a week. Afterward though, the play was eventually abandoned.

Later years

Carlotta Nillson appears to have retired from the stage sometime around

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. She remained active with the

Actor's Equity The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

organization and at some point became one of the first actors from the legitimate stage to appear on radio. Nillson came out of retirement on two occasions: she appeared in the 1934 play ''Re-Echo'', but voluntarily withdrew from the cast before its Broadway debut when she learned the playwright, I. J. Golden, wanted her part to be played by actress Florence Walcott, and in late 1940 she joined the cast of

Ferenc Molnár Ferenc Molnár ( , ; born Ferenc Neumann; 12 January 18781 April 1952), often anglicized as Franz Molnar, was a Hungarian-born author, stage-director, dramatist, and poet, widely regarded as Hungary’s most celebrated and controversial playw ...

's short-lived Broadway play ''Delicate Story'' staged at

Henry Miller's Theatre The Stephen Sondheim Theatre, formerly Henry Miller's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 124 West 43rd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Owned by the Durst Organization and managed by the Roundabout Theatre ...

Death

Carlota Nillson died at the age 75 at a New York area hospital on December 30, 1951, and was interred at the

Kensico Cemetery Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County, New York was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the railroads that served the city. Initially , it was ...

Valhalla, New York Valhalla is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the New York City metropolitan area. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The name was in ...

Selected performances

* June 2, 1898, St. James's Theatre: Mrs. Dasney, ''The Ambassador'' * November 13, 1899,

: Evelyn, ''The Happy Life'' * December 31, 1900, Academy of Music Opera House Eunice, ''Quo Vadis?'' * November 10, 1902,

Garden Theatre The Garden Theatre was a major theatre on Madison Avenue and 27th Street in New York City, New York. The theatre opened on September 27, 1890, and closed in 1925. Part of the second Madison Square Garden complex, the theatre presented Broadway ...

: Countess Labia Latac, ''Among Those Present'' * October 5, 1903,

Manhattan Theatre The Manhattan Theatre was located at 102 West 33rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, directly across from Greeley Square at Sixth Avenue and 33rd Street. The 1,100-seat theatre opened in 1875 as the Eagle Theatre, and was renamed the ...

: Mrs. Elvsted, ''Hedda Gabler'' * February 8, 1904, Criterion Theatre (Manhattan): Miriam Selwyn, ''The Triumph of Love'' * April 14, 1904,

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater, as the successive homes of the stock company managed by actors James W. Wallack and his son, Lester Wallack. During its 35-yea ...

: Dorothy Graydon, ''Love's Pilgrimage'' * September 12, 1904,

Hudson Theatre The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater at 139–141 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the Hudson was built ...

: title role, ''Letty'' * October 3, 1905,

: Elizabeth Annesley, ''The Man on the Box'' * October 17, 1906,

: Rhy Macchesney, ''The Three of Us'' * September 5, 1908,

Savoy Theatre (New York) The Savoy Theatre was a Broadway theatre that opened in 1900 (for its first few months as Schley Music Hall). It converted to a cinema around 1910, until it was closed in early 1952 and then demolished. History George Krause, a manager of oth ...

: title role,'' Diana of Dobson's'' * February 22, 1909,

Maxine Elliott Theatre Maxine Elliott's Theatre was originally a Broadway theatre at 109 West 39th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1908, it was designed by architect Benjamin Marshall of the Chicago-based firm Marshall and Fox, ...

: Thekla Muellet, ''This Woman and This Man'' * December 4, 1940,

: Mrs. Bernard, ''Delicate Story'' Tours * 1910: Elsie, ''For Better,' For Worse'' * 1911, title role, "Thyra Avery * 1913: title role, ''Deborah'' * 1915: title role, ''Leah Kleschna'' Film * 1913: title role, ''Leah Kleschna'' Leah Kleschna - Internet Movie Database
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References

External links

* *
''Carlotta Nillson'' portrait gallery at the NY Public Library, Billy Rose CollectionCarlotta Nillson portrait
University of Washington, Sayre Collection)
Carlotta Nillson Findagrave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nillson, Carlotta 1876 births 1951 deaths Swedish silent film actresses 20th-century Swedish actresses American silent film actresses 20th-century American actresses Swedish stage actresses American stage actresses People from Småland Burials at Kensico Cemetery Swedish emigrants to the United States