Kalita V. H. Humphreys (March 6, 1914 – September 19, 1954)[1][2] was an American actress who was most active in repertory theatre.

Early years

A native of Galveston, Texas,[3] Humphreys was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Humphreys.[4] She attended Ball High School and graduated from Vassar College, where she portrayed Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra.[5][6]

Career

Humphreys was a prominent actress in Galveston Little Theater productions,[4] and acted in the Dallas Little Theatre.[6]

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.[6] She was active in productions of the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia,[3] 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.[6]

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.[7] Shortly before her death she appeared in a 10-week run of Affairs of State in the Alley Theatre in Houston.[8]

In other professional activities, Humphreys served as director of the Federal Theatre Project in Dallas[6] and was a member of the Barter Theatre's board of directors.[2] She also was a volunteer speaker for the American National Theater and Academy, with a focus on Texas theaters[6] and both directed and acted with the Valley Players, a little theatre group in Liberty, Texas.[9]

Personal life

Humphreys was married to Joe K. Burson. They lived in Liberty, Texas,[2] where he managed the estate that she inherited from her father.[10]

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.[2] They were on their way to a month's vacation in New York.[10]

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.[11] By July 1963, the theater had a company of 14 actors and presented nearly 250 performances annually.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24LW-7KT : 2 March 2021), Kalita V H Humphreys, 1939; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Former Barter Actress, Mate Crash Victims". The Bristol Herald Courier. Tennessee, Bristol. September 22, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved April 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "B&PW Will Sponsor Barter Theatre Play". Elizabethton Star. Tennessee, Elizabethton. July 15, 1949. p. 5. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "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.
  5. ↑ "B. H. S. Honor Rolls Announced by Dean". The Galveston Daily News. Texas, Galveston. February 4, 1928. p. 3. Retrieved April 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "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.
  7. ↑ "Kalita Humphreys". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Kalita Humphreys". Variety. September 22, 1954. p. 71. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Stars in Houston". The Liberty Vindicator. Texas, Liberty. July 15, 1954. p. 2. Retrieved April 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 "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.
  11. ↑ "Theatre Unit in Dallas". The New York Times. June 7, 1959. p. 79. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  12. ↑ 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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