author
Steele MacKaye
1842–1894
A restless showman of 19th-century American theater, he mixed writing, acting, directing, and invention in a way that felt years ahead of his time. Best remembered for popular stage successes like Hazel Kirke, he also pushed for new ideas in acting training and stage technology.
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About the author
Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1842, Steele MacKaye became one of the most energetic figures in American theater. Reliable reference sources describe him as a playwright, actor, theater manager, and inventor, and note that he rose to wide fame through a career that spanned performing, writing, directing, and producing.
He studied in Paris with François Delsarte and helped introduce Delsarte's ideas about expression and movement to the United States. That interest in performance technique fed into his work as a teacher as well as a man of the theater, while his practical side showed up in his many efforts to improve stagecraft and theatrical production.
MacKaye's best-known play was Hazel Kirke, a major hit of its day. He is still remembered not just for individual works, but for the sheer range of his ambitions: he wanted the stage to be bigger, smarter, and more emotionally powerful. He died in Timpas, Colorado, in 1894.