Joseph C. Foster (January 31, 1804 – April 9, 1877) was a Scottish-born American stage manager and playwright. Foster was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and came to America in the 1830s, a clown with Cooke's Circus, appearing in productions such as Mazeppa. He also appeared with circuses in other American cities. Foster's Seven Dwarfs played the Bowery Theatre in New York to success in 1869. In 1870, his Twelve Temptations, which was created in the vein of The Black Crook with a story from the Walpurgis Night legend, ran for over 150 performances at the Grand Opera House.