Dorothy Follis

Dorothy Follis (1892 – August 15, 1923) was an American actress and soprano who performed on Broadway between 1908 and 1920. Born in Newark, New Jersey to Charles and Ruth Follis, she demonstrated musical ability from an early age and received vocal training under William Thorner.

Follis built her career in musical comedy, and by 1909 her stage presence had drawn attention for her beauty and physical bearing. Her Broadway credits included Miss Innocence, The Rose Maid, and Honeydew. In The Rose Maid, a 1912 production, she portrayed an heiress, and she used the publicity surrounding the role to publicly critique the deportment of American society women. In Honeydew, she took on the role of Lenore during a run that extended forty weeks on Broadway.

Beyond the stage, Follis pursued a career as a concert and opera singer. In 1918 she was signed by the Chicago Grand Opera Company, a development that earned her recognition as a notable musical discovery of that season. She also performed with the Boston Opera Company and appeared with the symphonies of Cleveland, Detroit, and Cincinnati. She subsequently organized her own company and toured across the United States.

On February 4, 1922, Follis married Karl Kitchen, a newspaperman. She died in New York on August 15, 1923, following a brief illness, and was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside, New Jersey.