Felicia Montealegre Bernstein facts for kids

Felicia Montealegre Bernstein (born Felicia María Cohn Montealegre; February 6, 1922 – June 16, 1978) was an actress and social activist. She was born in Costa Rica and later became an American citizen.

As an actress, Felicia was well-known for her roles in TV dramas during the early days of television. She also performed in plays both on and off Broadway. She often appeared with symphony orchestras across the United States, acting and narrating stories. She even worked with her husband, the famous American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.

About Felicia Montealegre

Her Early Life and Education

Felicia María Cohn Montealegre was born on February 6, 1922, in San José, Costa Rica. Her mother was Clemencia Cristina Montealegre Carazo. Her father was Roy Elwood Cohn, an American mining executive working in Costa Rica. Felicia had two sisters, Nancy and Madeline.

She grew up in Chile and was raised Catholic. Later, when she married Leonard Bernstein, she became Jewish. Her grandfather on her father's side had also been Jewish. In 1944, Felicia moved to New York City. There, she took piano lessons from her Chilean teacher, Claudio Arrau.

Acting on Television

Starting in 1949, Felicia Montealegre played main roles in weekly TV shows. These included Kraft Television Theatre (NBC), Studio One (CBS), Suspense (CBS), and The Philco Television Playhouse (NBC).

She made her TV debut on May 11, 1949, on NBC's Kraft Television Theatre. She played Hygieia in a play called The Oath of Hippocrates. In 1950, she starred as Nora Helmer in a TV version of Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House.

Felicia first appeared on CBS's Studio One in a thriller called Flowers from a Stranger in May 1949. She acted in eleven Studio One shows between 1949 and 1956. One notable role was Mildred in Of Human Bondage, where she acted alongside Charlton Heston. In 1952, she worked with Charlton Heston again in The Wings of the Dove.

She also appeared in four episodes of the Suspense series. These were live TV plays about people in dangerous situations. In one episode, "The Yellow Scarf," she played a housekeeper named Hettie. She found herself in a strange situation with her mysterious boss, played by Boris Karloff.

Dramatic Performances with Music

In 1957, Felicia Montealegre took on her first acting role in a classical music concert. She narrated Parable of Death by Lukas Foss. This piece was based on a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke.

She played the main character, Joan, in Arthur Honegger's Joan of Arc at the Stake several times. In 1958, she performed this role with her husband, Leonard Bernstein, who conducted the New York Philharmonic orchestra.

Leonard Bernstein wrote the narration for his Symphony No. 3: Kaddish with Felicia in mind. She narrated its first performance in America on January 31, 1964.

Her Family and Activism

Felicia Montealegre met composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein in 1946 at a party. They got engaged, but broke it off for a while. During that time, she had a relationship with actor Richard Hart. She and Bernstein later married on September 9, 1951. They had three children: Jamie, Alexander, and Nina.

In 1967, Felicia helped start an organization called "Another Mother for Peace." This group worked to teach women about the Vietnam War and encourage peace. In 1970, she hosted an event for the Black Panther Party. Two years later, she was one of 100 people arrested during an anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. This shows her strong commitment to social causes.

On her mother's side, Felicia was related to actress Madeleine Stowe. Their shared ancestor was Mariano Montealegre Bustamante, who was a Vice Head of State of Costa Rica.

Felicia Montealegre passed away from lung cancer in East Hampton, New York, in 1978. She was 56 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Felicia Montealegre para niños