A History of the American Theatre from Its Origins to 1832

Download or read book A History of the American Theatre from Its Origins to 1832 written by William Dunlap and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2005-10-17 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As America passed from a mere venue for English plays into a country with its own nationally regarded playwrights, William Dunlap lived the life of a pioneer on the frontier of the fledgling American theatre, full of adventures, mishaps, and close calls. He adapted and translated plays for the American audience and wrote plays of his own as well, learning how theatres and theatre companies operated from the inside out. Dunlap's masterpiece, A History of American Theatre was the first of its kind, drawing on the author's own experiences. In it, he describes the development of theatre in New York, Philadelphia, and South Carolina as well as Congress's first attempts at theatrical censorship. Never before previously indexed, this edition also includes a new introduction by Tice L. Miller.