Edwin Adams (February 3, 1834 – October 28, 1877) was an American

stage actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

, considered to have been one of America's best light comedians. He was born in

Medford, Massachusetts Medford is a city northwest of downtown Boston on the Mystic River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 59,659. It is home to Tufts University, which has its campus alo ...

, and worked "at a mechanical trade in Boston" before he became an actor. Adams began his career on the stage in ''The Hunchback'', at the National Theatre in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in 1853. He also appeared in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' with

Kate Josephine Bateman Kate Josephine Bateman Crowe (October 7, 1842 – April 8, 1917) was an American actress. She started out as a child actor and later developed a career in romantic leading parts. Early life and childhood acting Kate Josephine Bateman was born in ...

in 1860, as well in ''The Serf'' in 1865, and ''The Dead Heart'', ''Wild Oats'', ''The Lady of Lyons'', ''Narcisse'', and ''The Marble Heart''. He was a member of the Actors' Order of Friendship (AOOF). A benevolent association started in 1849 with chapters in Philadelphia and New York City. Although he apparently was not involved personally with the group, Adams allowed use of his name for the 1865 creation of the Adams's Dramatic Association in Pittsburgh. In 1867, Adams joined

Edwin Booth Edwin Thomas Booth (November 13, 1833 – June 7, 1893) was an American actor who toured throughout the United States and the major capitals of Europe, performing Shakespearean plays. In 1869, he founded Booth's Theatre in New York. Some theatri ...

's acting company, appearing in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'', ''Narcisse'', ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'', and ''

Enoch Arden ''Enoch Arden'' is a narrative poem published in 1864 by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, during his tenure as England's poet laureate. The story on which it was based was provided to Tennyson by Thomas Woolner. The poem lent its name to a principle in ...

'', becoming the creator of the Arden role. From 1870 to 1875, Adams toured the country performing his best-known roles. Adams toured Australia in 1876 and became ill while he was there. After he returned to the United States, he was the recipient of a benefit at the California Theatre in San Francisco. His last appearance was at the California Theatre in San Francisco in 1876. His health failed on a visit to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and he died in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in 1877. He is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery.

References

External links

American National Biography The ''American National Biography'' (ANB) is a 24-volume biographical encyclopedia set that contains about 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Le ...

, vol. 1, pp. 83–84. *''Who Was Who in America: Historical Volume, 1607-1896''. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1963. 1834 births 1877 deaths Male actors from Massachusetts People from Medford, Massachusetts 19th-century American male actors American male stage actors Burials at Mount Moriah Cemetery (Philadelphia) {{US-theat-actor-1830s-stub