(1845-1911)
Born in New York City, Ned Harrigan began as a minstrel performer and eventually tried writing his own material. He made his professional debut as a legitimate actor in San Francisco in 1867. In Chicago, he met Tony Hart, and they began in 1872 to perform together, using some comedy sketches Harrigan had written. Continuing the partnership in New York, they leased a theatre and created a series of light and lively comedies that bring together the city's ethnic types. Harrigan and Hart's "Mulligan Guard" series between 1879 and 1883 included The Mulligan Guard's Ball, The Mulligan Guard's Picnic, The Mulligan Guard's Chowder, The Mulligan Guard Nominee, The Mulligan Guard's Christmas, The Mulligan Guard's Surprise, and The Mulligans' Silver Wedding. Other successes included Squatter Sovereignty (1882), Cordelia's Aspirations (1883), and The Last of the Hogans (1891). Harrigan was married to his leading lady Annie T. Braham.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.