Famous American Theater Personalities
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What is that one thing that binds legendary actors like Bruce Willis, Daniel Radcliffe, Jon Hamm and Kevin Spacey together? No, it’s not just Hollywood and films, but their penchant for theatre and love for stage. Over the centuries, since the first time theatre rumblings took America by a storm in the Eighteenth Century, it has remained close to the country’s heart. History says that drama was first introduced in this country by the Hallams in the year 1752 when they brought over a company from London and presented The Merchant of Venice at Williamsburg, then the capital of Virginia, in a building arranged for that purpose. However, the truth of this is debatable. Never mind when theatre spread its wings in the nation, what is important is the wad of well authenticated dramatic performances that have been performed in the American soil ever since. Explore this collection of biographies to know the timelines, life stories and interesting trivia & facts related to the lives of some of the most famous and successful American theatre personalities.
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Birthdate: February 2, 1949
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA
Birthdate: January 31, 1947
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Glynn Turman is an American actor, filmmaker, and writer. In a career spanning over 60 years. Some of the notable characters that he has portrayed are: Lew Miles in the movie Peyton Place, Leroy Jackson in the film Cooley High, and Bradford Taylor in the sitcom A Different World. He has also won several awards like the NAACP Image Award.
Birthdate: May 10, 1970
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA
Birthdate: 1986
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Christopher Abbott is best known as Charlie Dattolo from Girls and as Mason Tannetti from The Sinner. He also had significant roles in the miniseries Catch-22 and the films First Man and James White. He is also a talented stage actor and has appeared in both Broadway and off-Broadway plays.
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Van Heflin(Best Known for His Role as ‘Jeff Hartnett’ in the Film ‘Johnny Eager’)
Birthdate: December 13, 1908
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Walters, Oklahoma, United States
Died: July 23, 1971
A dependable character actor of his time, Van Heflin won the Academy Award for his performance as Jeff Hartnett in Johnny Eager. While he initially studied law, he later took up a master’s degree in theater at Yale. Apart from films, he also made a name for himself in radio and theater.
6
Scott Rudin
(Film Producer)
Birthdate: July 14, 1958
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Birthdate: September 6, 1936
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lowell, Indiana, United States
8
Joe Besser
(Comedian, Musician, Voice actor, Actor, Television actor)
Birthdate: August 12, 1907
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: St. Louis
Died: March 1, 1988
Birthdate: December 1, 1913
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Weatherford, Texas, U.S.
Died: November 3, 1990
Birthdate: August 19, 2004
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Birthdate: February 10, 1901
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: December 21, 1992
Birthdate: March 21, 1963
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Burbank, California, United States
Birthdate: November 18, 1969
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Rochester, Minnesota
Birthdate: October 21, 1949
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
15
Ted Healy
(Actor, Screenwriter, Stage actor)
Birthdate: October 1, 1896
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kaufman
Died: December 21, 1937
Birthdate: December 12, 1881
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Krasnosielc, Poland
Died: December 27, 1958
Birthdate: August 7, 1902
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Died: September 1, 1981
18
Howard Austen
(Businesspeople, Casting director)
Birthdate: January 28, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: September 22, 2003
Birthdate: September 6, 1899
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: February 10, 1966
Birthdate: September 13, 1904
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Patten, Maine, U.S.
Died: December 8, 1954
Birthdate: March 2, 1914
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: December 8, 1990
22
Grace Moore(American Opera Singer and Actress Whose Films Helped to Popularize Opera)
Birthdate: December 5, 1898
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Del Rio, Tennessee, United States
Died: January 26, 1947
American opera singer Grace Moore, also known as the Tennessee Nightingale, initially sang in New York nightclubs and then moved on to Broadway. She is remembered for her Academy Award-nominated role in the romantic musical One Night of Love. She died in a plane crash in Copenhagen after a performance.
Birthdate: October 5, 1908
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Texarkana, Texas, United States
Died: July 12, 1988
Birthdate: September 3, 1918
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lubbock, Texas, United States
Died: May 1, 2010
25
Dorothy Stickney
(Actress)
Birthdate: June 21, 1896
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dickinson, North Dakota, United States
Died: June 2, 1998
26
Alexander H. Cohen
(Theatrical Producer)
Birthdate: July 24, 1920
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: April 22, 2000
27
Roger L. Stevens
(Theatrical producer)
Birthdate: March 12, 1910
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan,United States
Died: February 2, 1998
28
Augustin Daly
(Playwright)
Birthdate: July 20, 1838
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Plymouth, North Carolina, United States
Died: June 7, 1899
29
Gordon Davidson
(American theatre director)
Birthdate: May 7, 1933
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Died: October 2, 2016
30
Kermit Bloomgarden
(Theatrical producer)
Birthdate: December 15, 1904
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: September 20, 1976
31
Albert Marre
(Stage Director)
Birthdate: September 20, 1924
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: September 4, 2012
Birthdate: January 1, 1970
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York
Birthdate: 1750 AD
Birthplace: France
Died: 1812 AD
Born to French travelling acrobats, Alexander Placide initially gained fame as a tightrope walker at Louis XVI’s court. A professional dancer and entertainer, he later moved to the U.S. and led the Charleston Theatre. His shows included ballets, pantomime dramas, and fencing tournaments. He later married opera singer Charlotte Wrighten Placide.
Birthdate: June 26, 1982
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: United States