Margaret Taylor Barker (1908-1992) was an American actress, director, producer, educator, and playwright with a career spanning over five decades. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, she was the daughter of physician Lewellys Franklin Barker. Barker began her professional acting career in 1926 and quickly became a prominent ingénue on Broadway. She was a founding member of the influential Group Theatre in New York City, performing with them from 1931 to 1937. Following her departure from the Group Theatre, she co-founded the Studio Workshop Theatre, where she also taught.

Barker experienced personal struggles, including alcoholism, which led to a hiatus in her career during World War II. After achieving sobriety, she resumed her work in theatre and television, performing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in regional theatre well into the 1980s. She also had a notable television career, appearing in numerous anthology series and soap operas. Her play, "A Moonlit Dome," was staged in New York in 1962. Barker's career demonstrated remarkable resilience and a sustained presence in American performing arts.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Margaret Taylor Barker was the daughter of prominent physician Lewellys Franklin Barker and Lillian Halsey Barker. Her father was a distinguished figure in medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Margaret received her early education at the Bryn Mawr School and Calvert School in Baltimore. She continued her studies at Bryn Mawr College, where she acted alongside future star Katharine Hepburn and developed friendships with classmates Mildred Natwick and Eleanor Phelps. Barker pursued lifelong learning, studying with notable figures like Robert Lewis, Cicely Berry at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and receiving Shakespeare coaching from Helen Hayes. She also took courses at Columbia University and studied painting at The New School.

Margaret Barker launched her professional acting career in 1926. She gained recognition as a leading ingénue on Broadway, notably in productions with Katharine Cornell. In 1931, she became a founding member of the renowned Group Theatre, participating in numerous Broadway productions with the company until 1937. Prior to this, she had performed with a theatre troupe led by George Cukor and at Jessie Bonstelle’s Detroit Civic Theatre. After her departure from the Group Theatre, Barker co-founded the Studio Workshop Theatre in 1937 with Frank Westbrook and Felicia Sorel, where she taught theatre and dance until 1941. Her play, "The Unpossessed," was submitted to the Group Theatre but was not accepted for performance, though a short sketch of hers was performed by them in 1932.

Following a period of personal struggle, including a lapse in her career due to alcoholism after a relationship ended, Margaret Barker achieved sobriety and returned to performing in 1946. She remained active on Broadway through the early 1950s, appearing in significant productions such as "The Member of the Wedding" and "The Autumn Garden." Barker also had a substantial Off-Broadway career, acting and directing, and was a member of the Circle Repertory Company. She frequently performed at the Williamstown Theatre Festival for about a decade, taking on diverse roles. Her play "A Moonlit Dome" was staged in New York in 1962. Barker continued her stage work into the 1980s and served on the board of the Manhattan Punch Line Theatre.

Margaret Barker transitioned to screen acting, making her film debut in the 1949 drama "Lost Boundaries." While she appeared in only a few films, her television career was extensive, spanning from the 1950s into the 1980s. She was a frequent presence on television plays, appearing in anthology series like "Goodyear Television Playhouse," "Kraft Television Theatre," and "Studio One." Barker also took on recurring roles in television soap operas, including "The Secret Storm," "For Richer, For Poorer," and "Another World." Her final screen appearance was a role in the 1992 film "Fathers & Sons."