Post Mason

Charles Post Mason, born Charles Post Doutney in Vermont, was an American director, singer, and manager who worked across multiple countries and entertainment formats during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He appeared on Broadway in 1901, with his credits including Nell Gwyn.

Before his international career took shape, Mason worked as a vaudeville singer in the United States. He subsequently relocated to England, and in 1904 he emigrated to Australia, where he would spend a significant portion of his professional life.

In Australia, Mason performed at the Tivoli and took on managerial work with the J.D. Williams Amusement Company, overseeing events that included bicycle races. He also worked with promoter Hugh McIntosh and with Australasian Films, through which he directed stage productions and managed theatrical venues.

Among his directorial projects was The Martyrdom of Nurse Cavell, which achieved considerable success. Mason subsequently traveled to North America to promote the film, making the journey with his wife.

Mason married Rose Moran, a Queensland native, in 1906. The couple had four children together, one of whom, Charles Doutney, born in 1908, later became a recognized artist after taking up painting during his recovery from a rare blood disease.

Mason died on December 4, 1918, in New York City at the age of 40, a casualty of the influenza pandemic. He was survived by his wife and their four children.