Travers gained early experience acting in repertory theatre in England. He was billed as Travers Heagerty for a December 1895 production. He played character roles almost from the beginning of his acting career in 1894, often figures who were much older than himself. He made his Broadway debut in "The Price of Peace" (1901) but returned to England. Travers again went to the United States in 1917 after a long and successful theatre career in his homeland. He played frequently from November 1917 until December 1938 on Broadway in over 30 plays, and was described in the The New Yorker as 'one of the most consistent performers now in the American theatre, and at the same time one of its least appreciated'.His last play on Broadway "You Can't Take It with You" was his most famous, where he acted in over 380 performances in two years. In the Oscar-winning movie "You Can't Take It With You", Lionel Barrymore played the role which Travers had portrayed on Broadway.