FISKE, HARRISON GREY

(1861-1942)

Born in New York to a wealthy family, Harrison Grey Fiske worked in his teens as a drama critic for theJersey City Argus, but quit to attend New York University. In 1880, his father bought theNew York Dramatic Mirrorand made him its editor. Fiske's editorials promoted improvements in the quality of American theatre, helped establish the Actors' Fund of America (AFA), and launched a fierce campaign against the dominance of theTheatrical Syndicate. In 1890, Fiske married Minnie Maddern, a young actress subsequently billed asMrs. Fiske, but her promising career was endangered by Fiske's assault on the Syndicate. He leased small theatres and tents to help her continue her work, which, in part, was important in establishing new trends in drama that included the acceptance of realism and the social problem dramas of Henrik Ibsen. Fiske leased the Manhattan Theatre for his wife in 1901 and established theManhattan Theatre Company. He wrote several successful plays, includingHester Crewe(1893),The District Attorney(1895),Marie Deloche(1896), andThe Privateer(1897). Fiske ceased editing theDramatic Mirrorin 1911 and worked exclusively as a producer, scoring his greatest commercial success withKismet(1911), starringOtis Skinner.