This 'First Lady of the American Theater' began her illustrious eight-decade-long career as a child actress on the Washington stage at age five. By age nine, Hayes had made her Broadway debut and was soon starring as the embodiment of sunny optimism, "Pollyanna". Around the same time, she made her film debut in the 1910 short "Jean and the Calico Cat" and appeared in other New York-produced films as a juvenile.As a young adult, the petite, sweet-featured but plain-looking Hayes triumphed in a series of comic ingenue roles, most notably in "Dear Brutus", during the 1920s. ("I was squeezing
First appeared on stage as Pease-Blossom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Holy Cross Academy
1905
Professional stage debut at age five as Prince Charles in the Columbia Players production of "The Royal Family" in Washington
Member of the Columbia Players' for four season; appeared in "Little Lord Fauntleroy", "The Prince Chap" and "The Prince and the Pauper" while attending Holy Cross (usually appearing in two plays a summer)
1909
Broadway acting debut, "Old Dutch" (under the management of Lew Fields)
