Garrick, David

From Encyclopediak

Garrick, David 1717-1779, an English actor and theatrical manager, born in Hereford. He studied at Lichfield, then at Edial under Samuel Johnson, who was seven years his senior. The two set out for London together, and Garrick's career as an actor began in 1741. His daring substitution of naturalness in voice and acting for the stately, artificial declamation of the old actors gained the applause of the critics as well as the large audiences. He was manager of Drury Lane Theater from 1747 until 1776, and this period marks a revival of Shakespearean drama and a reform of the English stage, for which much credit is due to Garrick. He wrote farces and comedies without great success, but as an actor he was vivacious and versatile to an extraordinary degree, and was unequalled in expression and in passionate roles.