Alleyn, Edward (1566-1626), was one if the leading actors in the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods in England. He reached the height of his fame from 1590 to 1597 while performing with a drama company called the Admiral’s Men. Alleyn was particularly noted for his performances in the English playwright Christopher Marlowe’s plays. In 1600, Alleyn joined the Fortune Theatre in London, along with Philip Henslowe, as manager, owner, and actor.
Alleyn was born on Sept. 1, 1566, in London and began acting about 1583. He made a fortune organizing bearbaiting events, in which dogs fight a chained bear (see Bearbaiting). He founded Dulwich College, in south London, in 1619. Alleyn died on Nov. 25, 1626.
