Antoinette Perry (June 27, 1888June 28, 1946) was an actress, director

Theatre direction

A theatre director or stage director is a practitioner in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production by unifying various endeavours and aspects of production...

 and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing

American Theatre Wing

The American Theatre Wing is a New York City-based organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre," according to its mission statement...

. The Tony Award

Tony Award

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

s are her namesake.

Born in Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

, she spent her childhood aspiring to replicate the thespian artistry of her aunt and uncle, both of whom were well-respected touring actors. She appeared opposite David Warfield

David Warfield

David Warfield was an American stage actor, born in San Francisco, California. His first connection with the theatre was as an usher. He made his first stage appearance in 1888 in The Ticket-of-Leave Man. Two years later he went to New York City, where he appeared at the Casino Theatre and at...

 in Music Master in 1906 when she was only eighteen years old. Her career was on the rise, yet she left the stage a star in 1909, to marry Denver businessman Frank W.