Thomas Caulfield (actor) facts for kids
Thomas Caulfield (1766–1815) was a British stage actor. He started his acting career in London's famous West End theaters. Later, he moved to the United States and continued his acting there.
Early Life and London Stage
Thomas Caulfield was the son of an engraver from Clerkenwell, London. He began his acting journey in different parts of Britain, including cities like Bath and York.
In 1791, he made his first big appearance with the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane company. This was in a play called The Cave of Trophonius. Thomas Caulfield became a busy actor in London's West End. He performed at both Drury Lane and the Theatre Royal, Haymarket.
One of his notable roles was Uter in Vortigern and Rowena (1796). This play was famously, but falsely, claimed to have been written by Shakespeare. Caulfield also performed at the new Theatre Royal, Bath.
Moving to America
In 1807, Thomas Caulfield received an offer to act in the United States. He joined the Federal Street Theatre in Boston. American audiences welcomed him warmly in his first performance.
However, he sometimes faced challenges with his roles. After a period, he left Boston in 1809. He then went on to perform in other American cities. These included Providence, Rhode Island, and Charleston, South Carolina. For several years, he also acted in New York City.
Thomas Caulfield passed away at the age of 49. There are different ideas about where he died, with some sources saying Cincinnati and others Kentucky. A painting of Caulfield in his role as Mirabel in the play The Inconstant is kept at the Garrick Club.
Selected Plays and Roles
Here are some of the plays and characters Thomas Caulfield performed:
- Nourassin in Almeyda, Queen of Granada (1796)
- Lentulus in The Conspiracy (1796)
- Uter in Vortigern and Rowena (1796)
- George Ivey in The Last of the Family (1797)
- Almargo in Pizarro (1799)
- Grimbald in De Monfort (1800)
- Singleton in The Sailor's Daughter (1804)
