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own companies and controlled the actors, the production, and the financing. When successful, they built up a permanent clientele that flocked to their productions. They could enlarge their audience by going on tour across the country, performing a repertoire of well-known plays, such as
Shakespeare. The newspapers, private clubs, pubs and coffee shops rang with lively debates palming the relative merits of the stars of their productions. Henry Irving (1838–1905) was the most successful of the British actor-managers. Irving was renowned for his Shakespearean roles, and for such innovations as turning out the house lights so that attention could focus more on the stage and less on the audience. His company toured across Britain, as well as Europe and the United States, demonstrating the power of star actors and celebrated roles to attract enthusiastic audiences. His knighthood in 1895 indicated full acceptance into the higher circles of British society.
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In the 19th century, the negative reputation of actors was largely reversed, and acting became an honored, popular profession and art. The rise of the actor as celebrity provided the transition, as audiences flocked to their favorite "stars." A new role emerged for the actor-managers who formed their
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Though no longer the standard practice, modern actor-managers do exist and increasingly fringe work is being explored on this model as actors look to provide themselves with an artistic platform which they have the means to control. Examples include
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a combination of social, financial and technological factors, combined with the rising popularity of film and radio, lead to the diminishing of the actor-manager system, with its last two great exponents being Sir
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238:. In addition, the system of actor-management was adversely affected by factors such as the increasing cost of mounting theatrical productions, more corporate ownership of theatres, such as by the
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gained prominence. The system of actor-management generally produced high standards of performance, as demonstrated by such 19th-century actors as
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used consistently since the 16th century, particularly common in 19th-century
Britain and the United States.
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The system of actor-management waned in the early 20th century, as actor-managers were replaced first by
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Actor who manages their own theatrical company and usually stars in its productions
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The last of the actor-managers taking
Shakespeare on tour: Donald Wolfit
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The Art of the Actor-Manager: Wilson
Barrett and the Victorian Theatre
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The 19th-century repertoire usually consisted of a combination of
359:. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. pp. 449–450.
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in the 17th century. In the 18th century, actor-managers such as
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409:Sir Henry Irving: A Victorian Actor and His World
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271:when he worked as the artistic director of the
470:"Whatever happened to the actor-manager?"
357:The Cambridge history of American theatre
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501:Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London (1970)
355:Wilmeth, Don B.; Bigsby, C.W.E. (1998).
291:in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company.
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497:Donaldson, Lady Frances Annesley.
71:The first actor-managers, such as
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396:(Rowman & Littlefield, 1981).
381:Encyclopedia of the Victorian era
137:Thomas and Priscilla German Reed
111:, by husband-wife teams such as
51:who sets up their own permanent
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336:Definition of 'actor-manager'
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394:Theatre in the Age of Irving
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426:'The Actor-manager System'
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515:Methuen and Co Ltd (1950)
406:Jeffrey Richards (2007).
216:'s role in the 1871 play
456:15 February 2015 at the
316:28 February 2011 at the
311:The Actor-manager system
283:when he briefly ran the
248:The Shubert Organization
513:The Last Actor-Managers
475:24 October 2021 at the
437:Encyclopædia Britannica
341:2 November 2012 at the
141:Lucia Elizabeth Vestris
529:Theatrical occupations
379:James Eli Adams, ed.,
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133:Madge Robertson Kendal
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534:Theatrical management
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179:, among many others.
129:William Hunter Kendal
109:Herbert Beerbohm Tree
61:theatrical production
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240:Theatrical Syndicate
57:manages the business
431:25 May 2011 at the
345:the Free Dictionary
511:Pearson, Hesketh.
499:The Actor Managers
468:Wilkinson, Chris.
285:Sheffield Crucible
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79:(no relation) and
53:theatrical company
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366:978-0-521-65179-0
244:Edward Laurillard
236:theatre directors
165:Gertrude Kingston
16:(Redirected from
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392:George Rowell,
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157:Sarah Bernhardt
125:Violet Melnotte
113:Squire Bancroft
97:Charles Wyndham
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269:Kevin Spacey
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252:World War II
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226:20th century
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161:Sarah Thorne
105:Frank Benson
101:Henry Irving
81:George Jolly
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38:Henry Irving
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322:Answers.com
281:Samuel West
206:Shakespeare
173:Laura Keene
145:Lucy Escott
121:Frank Wyatt
523:Categories
295:References
210:melodramas
208:, popular
219:The Bells
202:the works
189:The Bells
473:Archived
454:Archived
429:Archived
339:Archived
314:Archived
259:and Sir
273:Old Vic
67:History
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277:London
214:Irving
192:, 1874
49:actor
361:ISBN
287:and
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