Kemper, Collin

(1870-1955)

   The producer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He had acted on the road for several years when he met Lincoln A. Wagenhals, with whom he formed a producing partnership in 1887. For a decade they managed stars and touring companies, enjoying associations with such major figures as Louis James, Frederick Warde, Helena Modjeska, and others. Then they centered their activities in New York, where they inaugurated the Astor Theatre on Broadway in 1906 with A Midsummer Night's Dream. Besides numerous Shakespeare productions, they produced hits like Paid in Full (1908), Seven Days (1909), and The Bat (1920).