18th century manuscript biography of the Irish actor's life and roles

1780. 3 pp. 8vo and 12mo. Pasted to a blank sheet of wove paper. Some light soiling from paste. Spranger Barry was a well-known Irish actor whose roles of Othello, Romeo, and Lear were highly regarded by critics of the English stage. These manuscript leaves appear to be notes used for a profile of the actor which includes a brief outline of his early life, with greater emphasis on his work in the theater. The notes including references to the Shakespeare plays he starred in and the dates in which the plays were produced. The manuscript makes references (truncated) to his association with Garrick, the two playhouses he built in Dublin, and his marriage to the actress Mrs. Dancer and their work together on the London stage. The notes also include a physical description Barry, citing his height and handsome frame. Nice piece of theater ephemera. Concise Dictionary of National Biography, p. 68; Encyclopedia Brittannica 11th Edition, v. III, p.445. (Inventory #: 22)