KEENE, Edmund (Kean Edmund)

(1787-1833)
Born March 17, 1787 in London. As a teenager joined a troupe of itinerant actors who played the children participated in acrobatics. By 1807 had been a partner on stage C. Siddons, in 1814 triumphantly acted as Shylock (The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare) in London's 'Drury Lane'. The most famous in London, brought him the role of Shakespeare's repertoire: Richard III, Hamlet, Macbeth, Iago and Othello. In 1820, Keane has successfully toured in the U.S.. His romantic style of play, the expressive mobility, rapid stage temperament, powerful on the nature of the voice literally fascinated viewers. Seeing him on stage, on the withdrawal of the English poet S. T. Coleridge, was tantamount to 'reading Shakespeare when a flash of lightning'. During one of the representations of Othello Kean collapsed on stage after the famous words: 'Here is my way over, here it limit'. Keane died in Richmond (England) 15 May 1833.