author
Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy) Rice
1871–1938
A lively chronicler of American minstrelsy, he wrote from deep firsthand experience in the theater world. His work preserves names, stories, and stage traditions that might otherwise have been lost.
1 Audiobook
Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to date
by Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy) Rice
About the author
Born in Manhattan on August 24, 1871, Edward Le Roy Rice was an American performer, producer, and writer closely tied to the world of minstrel shows. His father, William Henry Rice, was also a minstrel performer, and Rice himself began appearing on stage as a child.
He later became known as a producer and as a collector and dealer in theatrical memorabilia. Sources describe him as a leading authority on the history of minstrelsy, and that background shaped his writing, including Monarchs of Minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to Date, which records performers, companies, and traditions from that era.
Rice died on December 1, 1938. Today, his work is mainly remembered as a period document: useful for understanding a once-popular form of entertainment, while also reflecting a tradition now recognized as deeply tied to racist performance history.