Frederick G. Maeder

Frederick George Maeder (1840 – 9 April 1891, New York City) was an American playwright and actor.^[1][2] Born in New York, he was the son of composer and vocal coach James Gaspard Maeder (1809–1876), and his wife, the actress Clara Fisher (1811–1898).^[3] He made his professional stage debut in 1859 in Portland, Maine portraying the officer Barnardo in William Shakespeare's Hamlet in a production managed by George Paunceford.^[2] As an actor he mainly performed comedic characters, often with an eccentric flair. He was best known during his lifetime as the writer of many plays; crafting works for numerous stage personalities of the second half of the 19th century.^[3] In addition to the many plays he wrote alone, he also co-wrote plays with McKee Rankin, among them Wife and Child,^[4] The Runaway Wife and The Canuck.^[5]

Maeder died of pneumonia at the age of 50 at the home of his brother Gaspard at 311 E 114th St New York, NY 10029.^[2]

Partial list of plays

• Red Riding Hood; or Wolf's at the Door (1868)^[3]
• Help (1871)^[3]
• Lola (1871)^[3]
• Buffalo Bill (1872)^[6]
• Life's Peril; or, The Drunkard's Wife (1872)^[3]
• Nip, the Pretty Flower (1873)^[3]
• Mat, the Romp (1883, written for Carrie Swain)^[7]
• Morning Glory (1884, written for Carrie Swain)^[8]
• Wife and Child (1884, with McKee Rankin)^[4]
• Old London (1887, with McKee Rankin)^[9]
• The Runaway Wife (1888, with McKee Rankin; heavily revised version of Wife and Child)^[10]
• The Skirmish Line (1888, with McKee Rankin)^[11]
• The Canuck (1889, with McKee Rankin)^[12]