born с 1550, Lindfield, Sussex, Eng.
died Jan. 6, 1616, London
English theatre owner and manager.
He settled in London before 1577, married a wealthy widow, and became the owner of several theatres, among them the Rose Theatre, which he built (with a partner) in 1587. The most lavish was the Fortune Theatre, built in 1600 for the Admiral's Men, the chief rivals of William Shakespeare 's company. Henslowe's theatres gave the first productions of many Elizabethan dramas. His diary (edited 1904–08 by Sir Walter Gregg) is an important source for theatrical history.