Geraldine Page
The year after the summer of love bloomed in 1967, one of Broadway and Hollywood's most beloved actresses came to the Ogunquit Playhouse stage. In 1968 Geraldine Page starred alongside Richard Dysart in Lillian Hellman's play The Little Foxes. Page was born in the small town of Kirksville, Missouri and went on to follow her dreams in the theatre at The Goodman School of Drama in Chicago. Page was trained as a method actor and made her first appearance in the 1952 Off-Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke.This was just the beginning of Page's successful career on stage.She received her first Tony nomination in 1959 for Sweet Bird of Youth and was later nominated for an Oscar for the same roll.
Page's career was just as outstanding on film as it was on stage.She received eight Academy Award nominations including her work in the film "Hondo" opposite John Wayne. She was finally awarded the Oscar for Best Actress in 1986 for her performance in "The Trip to Bountiful," a film adaption of the play by Horton Foote.Her interpretation of the unstoppable character Carrie Watts was regarded as one of the most important performances Page ever gave. Upon winning the award she received a standing ovation from the audience. F. Murray Abraham, the actor announcing her win, exclaimed, "I consider this woman the greatest actress in the English language." Many regarded Page with such high standards. She returned to the Ogunquit Playhouse 1979 and performed in the play Slightly Delayed by James Prideaux.
Page died of a heart attack in 1987 at the very young age of 62. At the time of her death she was in the middle of a Broadway run of Sir Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. Page performed until her dying day and continues to be regarded as one of the finest actresses of stage and film.