Allan Wilkie

(1878-1970) Wilkie made his stage debut in 1899 and almost immediately began touring with three of the great Shakespeare companies, those of Rawson Buckley, Ben Greet and Frank Benson. After his experience with these companies and the numerous parts he played in Shakespeare he formed his own company and toured England, India, and Australia. In 1920 after his company’s successful runs in Melbourne and Sydney, he took his troupe over much of Asia. In all, he staged twenty-seven of Shakespeare’sRead more

Henry Baynton

(1892-1951) Henry Baynton first appeared on stage in 1910 and almost immediately began a long career during which he performed in almost every important part in Shakespeare’s plays. In 1911, he joined the company of Oscar Asche and then in the same year moved to Frank Benson‘s company. He worked with Benson for several years and played, among other parts, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet (1915). Then in the summer of 1916 he played Shakespeare at the StratfordRead more

William Stack

(1882-1949) William Stack was born in the United States, but he began his acting career in London at the Court Theatre in 1908. Between 1914 and 1916, he played with the Old Vic Company, and in 1920, he joined the Ben Greet Company where he played Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice. In 1922, he performed with the New Shakespeare Company in Stratford-on-Avon; he had parts in Twelfth Night, Cymbeline, Othello, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar. The Internet Movie Database listsRead more

James Young

(1878?-1948) Young was an American actor who was famous for his Shakespeare roles and lecture on Shakespeare’s works and characters. He appeared in over 30 films from 1909 onward. The NYPL indicates that he was an avid collector of theatrical photographs and perhaps postcards. If you have anymore leads, contact us and let us know! Here is some valuable information from the New York Public Library. Thanks, Laura Pokalsky, for finding this! Here is a video clip of Young in anRead more

Ernest Milton

(1890-1974) Ernest Gianello Milton, who was born in 1890 in San Francisco, played most of the major roles in Shakespeare’s plays with a number of Shakespearean companies such as the Old Vic (1918) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (1962). Early in his career he played Romeo and Bassanio, but it was in 1918 when he joined the Old Vic that he concentrated primarily on parts in Shakespeare. His last role was in 1960 when he played the Ghost and theRead more

Henry B. Irving

(1870-1919) Henry Brodribb Irving was the first son of Sir Henry Irving; he used the stage name “H. B.” to distinguish himself from his illustrious father. In 1894, the same year he was called to the Bar, Inner Temple, he chose the theater as a profession and was continuously employed from then on as an actor. He acted in his father’s company, and served several times as an actor-manager in the London theaters. For a short period, he took overRead more

Sir John Martin-Harvey

(1863-1944) Sir John Martin-Harvey, one of the most popular actors of his time, had a long and successful career of more than forty years on the stage. He first appeared in 1881 and then the next year joined the troupe of Sir Henry Irving with whom he stayed until 1896. He played in at least nine Shakespeare plays, but usually in fairly minor roles. Not until 1899 and a year with Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson in 1897 did he begin playingRead more

E. H. Sothern

(1859-1933) Edward Hugh Sothern was born in New Orleans. His first American stage appearance was at the Park Theatre, New York, in 1879. His first London appearance was at the Royalty Theatre in 1881, two years before returning to the United States. In 1900, he appeared in Hamlet, his first Shakespeare performance at the Garden Theatre in New York City. In 1904, Sothern first played with Julia Marlowe in Romeo & Juliet at the Illinois Theatre in Chicago. That same year,Read more