Fiske, Minnie Maddern (1865-1932), was a leading American stage actress during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. She was an early supporter of a natural style of acting in the United States, departing from the more exaggerated romantic style popular in the 1800’s. Fiske was the chief promoter in America of the modern realistic dramas of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. She performed in several Ibsen plays, including A Doll’s House in 1894 and Hedda Gabler in 1903.
Fiske was born on Dec. 19, 1865, in New Orleans into a family of actors and actresses. Her given and family name was Marie Augusta Davey. In 1890, she married Harrison Grey Fiske, a newspaper editor and playwright, who wrote several plays for her. After her marriage, she performed under the name Mrs. Fiske. She died on Feb. 15, 1932.
