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Articles

Volume 10 Number 2 / Fall 1989

McKee Rankin: The Actor as Playwright

Submitted
May 13, 2008
Published
1989-06-06

Abstract

McKee Rankin (1844-1914), from Windsor, Ontario, became one of the greatest actors on the American stage for a half-century. He also earned a reputation as the best stage manager and the best teacher of acting. This article deals with his talent as a playwright within the context of the important plays of his day. His The Danites brought a new realism to the stage, and his Abraham Lincoln introduced historical realism as drama. McKee Rankin (1844-1914), né a Windsor (Ontario), fut, pendant une cinqauantaine d'années, l'un des plus grands comédiens de la scène américaine, où il acquit aussi la réputation d'être l'un des meilleurs régisseurs et professeurs d'art dramatique. Cet article traite de son talent de dramaturge par rapport aux pièces les plus saillantes de son époque. La pièce de McKee Rankin, The Danites, apporta un nouveau réalisme scénique, tandis que son Abraham Lincoln dramatisa de façon réaliste l'histoire récente.