WARDE, FREDERICK

(1851-1935)

Born Frederick Barkham Warde in Oxfordshire, England, he gave up a law career for acting. Following his 1867 stage debut, he emigrated to the United States in 1874 and worked withJohn McCullough, Charlotte Cushman,Edwin Booth, Lawrence Barrett, and others before establishing his own company in 1881. He played Shakespearean roles and acted in 19th-century chestnuts includingThe Gladiator, The Lady of Lyons, andVirginius, but also a few contemporary characters, including the leading role inPercyMacKaye'sA Thousand Years Ago(1914). Following his 1919 retirement, Warde frequently lectured on theatre and wrote books, includingThe Fools of Shakespeare(1913) and his memoirFifty Years of Make-Believe(1920).