Charles Rann Kennedy (born

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

, England, 14 February 1871; died Los Angeles, California, 16 February 1950) was an

Anglo-American Anglo-American can refer to: * the Anglosphere (the Anglo-American world) * Anglo-American, something of, from, or related to Anglo-America ** the Anglo-Americans demographic group in Anglo-America * Anglo American plc Anglo American plc is a ...

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. Ben Jonson coined the term "playwri ...

Biography

Kennedy was born in Derby on 14 February 1871. His parents were Edmund Hall Kennedy and Annie Leng Kennedy (née Fawcett) and his grandfather Charles Rann Kennedy, the classicist. His sister was the novelist Nina Gorst. He began life as an office boy, largely educated himself and began lecturing and writing early. He later became an actor, press agent, and theatrical business manager. This led to the production of dramas for the stage with which he combined the writing of short stories, critical articles and poems. He taught for several years at Bennett Junior College in

Millbrook, New York Millbrook is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. Millbrook is located in the Hudson Valley, on the east side of the Hudson River, north of New York City. Millbrook is near the cent ...

. He retired in Los Angeles.

Works

After 1905, he spent most of his time writing drama, including: * ''The Servant in the House'', his first success (1908) * ''The Winter Feast'' (1908) * ''The Terrible Meek'' (1911) * ''The Necessary Evil'' (1913) * ''The Idol-Breaker'' (1914) * ''The Rib of the Man'' (1916) * ''The Army with Banners'' (1917) All of these dramas deal with problems of society and are of a serious, reforming tendency. * ''World Within: A Cycle of Sonnets'' (1956) -- posthumously published collection of sonnets

Family

In 1898, he married actress Edith Wynne Matthison. She was an advisor during the development of his dramas, acted in them, and also taught at Bennett Junior College.

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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Charles Rann (playwright) 1871 births 1950 deaths English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Writers from Derby English emigrants to the United States American male dramatists and playwrights English male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers