Genevieve Hamper

(1888-1971) Genevieve Hamper, an American actress, was married to Robert B. Mantell (she was thirty-four years his junior) and played in his company, often acting alongside him in major roles, until his death in 1928. She married another actor, John Alexander, and seems to have left the stage permanently for a career in Hollywood where she made several films. Her son, Robert Mantell, Jr., also an actor, committed suicide in 1933.  Read more

Walter Hampden

(1879-1956) Walter Hampden Dougherty was born in New York City, but he began his stage career in England where he learned his craft as a player in Frank Benson‘s company. He returned to New York in 1907, where he became identified with a number of Shakespeare roles: Shylock, Hamlet, Othello, Oberon, Macbeth, and Romeo. In 1925, he acquired the Colonial Theatre in New York and renamed it Hampden’s Theatre, and there he established a repertory theatre that included the playsRead more

Evelyn Millard

(1869-1941) Evelyn Millard, a popular stage “beauty,” made her first appearance in 1891 as a walk-on at the Haymarket Theatre. Her first major parts came when she joined Sarah Thorne at the Theatre Royal in Margate; she played, among other roles, Juliet and then Hero in Much Ado About Nothing. When she joined the company of Sir Beerbohm Tree in 1897 she was given the role of Portia in Julius Caesar. Between 1903 and 1916, she played in several moreRead more

Nora Lancaster

(1882- ?) Nora Lancaster, born in London, first performed with Sir George Alexander’s company in 1901. She next acted briefly with Sir Henry Irving‘s troupe and toured America, Canada, and the English provincial cities. In 1906 she played Imogen in Cymbeline in Manchester’s series of Shakespeare revivals; she also played leading parts with Sir Frank Benson at his annual summer Shakespeare festivals in Stratford-on-Avon. She rejoined Benson’s company in 1909 playing, among other parts, Juliet, Portia and Rosalind. In 1910Read more

Nora Kerin

(1883-1970) A cousin of actress Julia Neilson, Nora Kerin’s stage debut was in 1899. She first appeared in Shakespeare at the Queen’s Theatre, Manchester, as Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Rosalind in As You Like It. She toured Australia in 1903 playing various parts in the Shakespeare repertory of George Alexander’s company. When she returned to England in 1904, she appeared as Miranda in a production of The Tempest at HisRead more

Phyllis Neilson-Terry

(1892-1977) Elder sister of actor Dennis Neilson-Terry. Daughter of famous Shakespearean actors Julia Neilson and Fred Terry. Niece of Dame Ellen Terry. Born in London in 1892, Phyllis was in good company. She studied in Paris and then at the Royal Academy of Music to be a singer. She made her first stage appearance in 1909 while on tour with her parent’s company in Blackpool. A few times, she would fill in for her mother when the latter would fall ill.Read more