John Howard Payne, the foremost actor-playwright of early American theater, was one of the first American dramatists to win international acclaim. Though his inspiration was foreign (he frequently adapted his plays from English, French, and German sources) and most of his works were written and first performed abroad, Payne's theatrical training and principles were American. Born in New York City to William and Sarah Isaacs Payne, John Howard Payne grew up in Boston and attended the Berry Street Academy, where his father had become headmaster in 1796. In Boston, young Payne's attraction to the stage was nourished by his performance in various school plays. However, when he announced his intention to pursue a professional stage career, his parents sent him to work at the mercantile house of Grant and Bennet Forbes in New York City, in an effort to dispel such a notion. Yet Payne continued to be attracted...