Edward Alleyn

Edward Alleyn , 1566-1626, English actor. He was the foremost member of the Admiral's Men , joining the group c.1587, and was the only rival of Richard Burbage. An exceptionally large man, he gained fame for his portrayals in Marlowe's Tamburlaine, Jew of Malta, and Doctor Faustus. He married the stepdaughter of Philip Henslowe and with Henslowe owned the Rose and Fortune theaters. His popularity brought him wealth, which he employed in the founding of Dulwich College in 1613 and in aiding contemporary writers. After his wife's death, he married a daughter of John Donne.

Alleyn, Edward (1566–1626), an actor ( R. Burbage's chief rival) and partner of Henslowe, with whom he built the Fortune Theatre, Cripplegate. There he acted at the head of the Lord Admiral's company, playing among other parts the leading roles in Marlowe's Tamburlaine, The Jew of Malta, and Dr Faustus. He bought the manor of Dulwich, and built and endowed Dulwich College. His first wife was Henslowe's stepdaughter, his second the daughter of Donne. He was a patron of Dekker, John Taylor, and other writers.

Alleyn, Edward (1566–1626), Elizabethan actor and the founder of Dulwich College. He was much admired by Nashe and Jonson and considered the only rival of Richard Burbage. Plays in which he is known to have appeared include Marlowe's Tamburlaine the Great (c.1587), The Tragical History of Dr Faustus (c.1589), and The Jew of Malta (c.1590), and Greene's Orlando furioso (c.1591). He was already known as a good actor in 1583 and remained on the stage until the accession of James I in 1603. He married the stepdaughter of Henslowe, and succeeded to most of his property, and to his papers, which are now at Dulwich. His second wife was the daughter of the poet Donne.