William B. Wood (actor)

William Burke Wood (b. Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 26 May 1779; d. Philadelphia, 23 September 1861) was an American theater manager and actor.

Feeling that he had a vocation for the stage, he set out for Annapolis, Maryland, with a capital of three doubloons, and through the courtesy of Manager Wignell, an old family friend, he made his first appearance there on 26 June 1798 as George Barnwell.

[1] The couple had a son, William Wightman Wood, who became a journalist and author based in Macau and Canton, China.

In the autumn of 1810, he began his career as manager in Baltimore, Maryland, and from September 1812 till the close of the season of 1820, he divided his time between that city and Philadelphia, where his company played at the Chestnut Street Theatre.

The Chestnut Street Theatre having been rebuilt, it was opened by the same managers on 2 December 1822 with the School for Scandal, Warren playing Sir Peter Teazle, and Wood, Charles Surface.