FECHTER

(fesk-tar), Charles Albert, French actor and dramatist, born in 1824, died in America in 1879. His first appearance on the stage was at the Salle Moliére, after which he made a short tour of Italy with a travelling French company. Returning to Paris, he appeared between 1844 and 1856 at different Paris i an theatres, and in 1857 he was joint director of the Odéon. In 1860 he came to London, and at once achieved great succe as Ruy Blas and Hamlet at the Prince ’s Theatre, characters in which he departed widely from stage traditions. He subsequently leased the Lyceum, and afterwards the Adelphi, acting youthful and melodramatic parts with striking power. From 1870 to 1878 he lived in the United States, but his experiences as a manager in New York were not succe ful.