American playwright, theatrical manager, and journalist who with his wife, Minnie Maddern Fiske (Fiske, Minnie Maddern), produced some of the most significant plays of the emerging realist drama, particularly those of Henrik Ibsen.

In love with the stage, Fiske became a dramatic critic in his teens and became editor at 18 of The New York Dramatic Mirror. He married in 1890. Among his own plays were Hester Crewe (1893) and Marie Deloche (adapted from the French; 1896), both of which starred Mrs. Fiske.

In 1901 Fiske opened the Manhattan Theatre in New York City to oppose the monopoly of Charles Frohman's Theatrical Syndicate, which then controlled the American theatre. Although Fiske lost much money during the six years he operated the theatre, the quality of his shows was esteemed, and they were considered among the most significant New York productions until the appearance of the Theatre Guild. After selling the Dramatic Mirror in 1918, Fiske devoted himself to production until 1931.