Augustin Duncan

Augustin Duncan (April 17, 1873 – 1954) was an American actor and director whose Broadway career spanned from 1900 to 1946. Born in San Francisco, California, he was the eldest son among four children of Joseph Charles Duncan, a banker, and Mary Isadora Gray. His siblings included Isadora Duncan, Raymond Duncan, and Elizabeth Duncan.

Duncan began his stage career in San Francisco in 1893, spending seven years touring before making his New York debut in 1900. His Broadway credits encompassed a wide range of productions, among them Caliban of the Yellow Sands, When the Young Vine Blooms, When Knights Were Bold, The Mountain Climber, and The Bonnie Brier Bush. He also worked extensively in London during the first half of the twentieth century.

In 1919, Duncan joined the Theatre Guild as both a performer and director. Following his departure from the Guild, he directed and acted in several notable productions, including The Cradle Song and The Detour in 1921, The First Man in 1922, Hell-Bent for Heaven in 1924, and Juno and the Paycock in 1926. He also directed productions in which he did not perform, such as Kempy in 1922.

Duncan's eyesight began to deteriorate in the late 1920s, and by the early 1930s he was blind. Despite this, he continued to perform, taking on the roles of John of Gaunt and the Ghost in Maurice Evans's productions of Richard II in 1937 and Hamlet in 1938, respectively. His final Broadway appearance came in 1946, when he played the Father in Lute Song.

Duncan was married to Broadway actress Margherita Sargent. Their son, Angus Duncan, served as Executive Director of Actors' Equity Association from 1952 to 1972.