Crane, William H.

(1846-1928)

   Born in Leicester, Massachusetts, Crane began acting at 18 and went on to become one of the most beloved comic actors of the modernist era. From 1877 to 1889, he performed in partnership with Stuart Robson in a long succession of comedies, and they enjoyed notable success as the two Dromios in The Comedy of Errors as well as their great vehicle The Henrietta. After amicably dissolving the partnership, Crane found a number of vehicles for his talent, notably Fool of Fortune (1896) and David Harum (1900). He also commissioned David Lloyd to write a political play that would give him the role of an honest senator as opposed to a caricature. For The Senator (1890), Crane modeled his portrayal of Senator Hannibal Rivers on Senator Preston B. Plumb of Kansas, which was much appreciated in Washington, D.C. Over the years, Crane was frequently asked to revive The Senator, and the role became so identified with him that newspapers sometimes referred to him as Senator Crane.