1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Frohman, Charles

FROHMAN, CHARLES (1860-1915), American theatrical manager, was born at Sandusky, O., June 17 1860. At the age of twelve he started to work at night in the office of the New York Tribune, attending school by day. In 1874 he began work for the Daily Graphic and at night sold tickets at Hooley's theatre, Brooklyn. In 1877 he took charge of the Chicago Comedy Co., with John Dillon as star in Our Boys. He next joined William Haverly and his Mastodon Minstrels as manager, touring the United States and Europe. Then for a time he was associated with his brother Daniel in managing the Madison Square theatre, New York. In 1888 he presented Bronson Howard's Shenandoah in a revised form, which was a great success. In 1890 he organized the Charles Frohman Stock Co. On Jan. 25 1893 he opened his Empire theatre, New York, with The Girl I Left Behind Me, and here he presented many of his stars. Other New York theatres with which he was at various times connected were the Criterion, Garrick, Knickerbocker, Lyceum, and Savoy. He was an adept in developing talent. Among his successful players were Maude Adams, Ethel Barrymore, Blanche Bates, Billie Burke, William Gillette, and Otis Skinner. During 1905-6 he presented E. H. Sothern and Julia Marlowe in Shakespearean plays. Sir James Barrie's plays were favourites with him, and he produced many of Henry Arthur Jones's and Pinero's. He was one of the organizers of the syndicate which for several years controlled the American theatres. Beginning with 1897 he presented many plays in London, leasing at different times such houses as the Duke of York's, Globe, Comedy, Vaudeville and Adelphi. He perished when the &ldquo;Lusitania&rdquo; was sunk by a German submarine May 7 1915.