Herne, << hurn, >> James A. (1839-1901), was an American playwright, actor, and theater manager. He is best known for two plays that were well in advance of their time in their realistic treatment of serious social problems. Drifting Apart (1888) probes the consequences of alcoholism. Margaret Fleming (1890) is an outspoken treatment of an unfaithful husband and his forgiving wife. The plays were praised by such literary figures as William Dean Howells and Hamlin Garland, but they shocked the theater public of the day.
Herne’s Hearts of Oak (1879), Shore Acres (1892), and Sag Harbor (1899) were warm-hearted and realistically detailed plays tailored to the American tastes of the time.
Herne was born on Feb. 1, 1839, in Cohoes, New York. His real name was James Ahearn. He died on June 2, 1901.
