137:, eighteen at the time of the American Company's first tour, took leading roles alongside Douglass. Lewis Jr.'s style was described as declaratory rather than realistic, but he was much admired and became known as America's leading Shakespearean interpreter. Douglass had his limitations: one Alexander Graydon described him as "rather a decent than shining actor". However, he was a capable manager and he gave North America its first
201:
The
Company achieved great success in Jamaica, as the island had a great interest for theatre but no professional theater had existed since they left sixteen years prior. Finding the old playhouse in Kingston not sufficient to their needs, the company successfully asked the authorities to construct
274:
monopoly on professional theatrical performances in North
America until the 1790s. In many places, they were the first professional company to perform theatre, and they founded playhouses for their use in many of the cities and towns they visited, often the very first playhouses in those places.
226:
as his co-manager. The theatre ban was still in place, and until it was lifted, the company officially named its plays "recitals", operatic performances and similar euphemisms for theater plays. For part of 1786 the company was in residence at the newly built
34:
was an
American theatre company. It was the first fully professional theatre company to perform in North America. It also played a vital role in the theatre history of Jamaica. It was founded in 1752 and disbanded in 1805. It was known as the
197:
banned theatre entirely, and the company resettled in
Jamaica. By that time, Hugh F. Ranking calculates that the company had performed at least 180 times, their repertoire having included fourteen of Shakespeare's plays.
184:
In Quaker and
Puritan areas, the company encountered religious opposition to theatre in general. At Rhode Island in 1761 they were obliged to perform Othello disguised as "a series of moral dialogues".
275:
They toured from
Newport in Rhode Island to Williamsburg in Virginia, and between Annapolis, Philadelphia and New York. They founded a playhouse in New York in 1754, the 'New Theatre' playhouse in
214:. David Douglass even served in the office of Master of the Revels, responsible of the representational festivities of the Governor, in 1779–80, and Lewis Hallam Jr. in 1781–1783.
159:. Douglass built the Society Hill Theatre in Philadelphia in 1759, having the company play there for six months before protests halted theatrical performances. He also built the
72:. Their company consisted of 12 adults and three children, drawn from English actors of "modest accomplishment". They were also known as the "Comedy of Comedians from London."
117:
In 1755 the company moved to
Jamaica in the West Indies. In Jamaica, the performed in the "New Theatre" in the King's Store on Harbour Street in Kingston with the company of
391:; Adam Allyn; Miss Dowthwaite; James Godwin; Catharine Maria Harman; Mr. Mathews; Owen and Mary Morris; Anna Tomlinson and her husband; Sarah Wainwright; and Thomas Wall.
430:, Mr. Byerley, Mr. Dermot, Richard Goodman, Catharine Maria Harman, Mr. Johnson, Owen Morris, Charles Parker, Mary Richardson, Mr. Roberts, Miss Storer (Ann,
163:
in
Philadelphia in 1766, which was the first permanent theatre structure in North America. On April 24, 1767, at the Southwark, the American Company staged
243:
779:
359:, William Rigby and his wife, Thomas Clarkson and his wife, Mary Palmer, John Singleton, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Winnell, William Adcock, and Patrick Malone.
239:
125:. The Hallam company merged with the company of David Douglass. In 1758, the company returned to tour the mainland, as the "American Company".
492:
In 1798, when the
American Company moved into Park Theatre in New York, the Company had the following members (listed in order of salary):
528:, John E. Harwood, John Johnson, Elizabeth Ford Johnson, Joseph Tyler, Ann Storer Hogg, John Hogg, John Martin, John Claude, Mrs. Claude,
222:
After the peace of 1783, the company left
Jamaica in July 1785 and returned to New York, with Lewis Hallam Jr. as the leading actor, and
847:
351:
In 1752, when the Hallam Company departed from London and arrived in Williamsburg in Virginia, the Company had twelve adult members:
449:
In 1788, around the time when the theatre ban was lifted in the United States, the American Company had the following members:
842:
228:
655:
481:
328:
807:
748:
368:
280:
246:, performing in Virginia and South Carolina, followed the next year by the foundation of the Philadelphia Company of
857:
65:
17:
765:
707:
206:
in Kingston, where they performed three or four times a week from 1775 onward: they also constructed theatres in
142:
234:
The Old American Company virtually had monopoly of theatre performances in the United States until 1790, when
852:
501:
566:
480:
Other members included John Martin (from 1790), referred to as the first American-born actor. In 1792,
824:
Morrison, Michael A. (2002). "Shakespeare in North America". In Wells, Stanley; Stanton, Sarah (eds.).
276:
106:
512:, Ellen Westray, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Seymour, Mr. Seymour, John D. Miller, Miss. Hogg, and Mrs. Collins.
441:, Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. Raynard, Mr. Sales, Mr. Mores, Mr. and Mrs. Godwin in the period of 1779-82.
259:
410:
In 1773–74, when the American Company departed to Jamaica, the Company had the following members:
462:
427:
411:
376:
309:
118:
89:
84:
529:
508:, Joseph Tyler, Joseph Jefferson I, John Martin, Mirvan Hallam, Ann Storer Hogg, John Hogg,
474:
372:
356:
303:
170:
165:
122:
194:
8:
520:
In 1804, the last season of the American Company, the Company had the following members:
434:
or Fanny), Thomas Wall, Mrs. Wall, Stephen Woolls, George Hughues, and Sarah Wainwright.
284:
255:
254:. After this, the Old American Company was essentially active in New York: first at the
178:
94:
454:
423:
395:
321:
223:
80:
803:
744:
533:
505:
160:
521:
493:
450:
415:
380:
315:
235:
203:
134:
68:, former proprietor of the New Wells Theatre in London, and was led by his brother
797:
740:
509:
466:
438:
388:
384:
335:
247:
152:
101:, and played there from September 17, 1753, to March 18, 1754. They played in
836:
174:
98:
525:
497:
470:
419:
352:
297:
207:
156:
102:
69:
458:
431:
399:
251:
211:
105:
for two months starting on April 15, 1754. The company then traveled to
766:
Women on Southern Stages, 1800-1865: Performance, Gender and Identity
151:, which proved a popular vehicle for two of the company's actresses,
147:
47:(1785–1805). With a few temporary exceptions, the Company enjoyed a
271:
138:
48:
93:, is generally considered to be the first professional staging of
51:
monopoly of professional theatre in the United States until 1790.
287:
in New York in 1767, and the New Theatre in Annapolis in 1770.
780:
The Colonial American Stage, 1665-1774: A Documentary Calendar
536:, Mirvan Hallam, Mr. Shapter, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. M'Donald.
121:. On Lewis Hallam's death, David Douglass married his widow
83:, on 2 June 1752, and made their early performances in nearby
799:
America's Longest Run: A History of the Walnut Street Theatre
656:
The Jamaican Stage, 1655-1900: Profile of a Colonial Theatre
181:
was built in New York in 1767, modeled after the Southwark.
676:
718:
716:
546:
666:
664:
469:, Charles Biddle, Mr. J. Kenna, Mrs. Kenna, Miss Kenna,
371:
opened, the American Company had the following members:
713:
661:
599:
632:
630:
628:
626:
611:
589:
587:
532:, Mrs. Harper, John Darley, Ellen Darley, Mr. Darby,
777:Odai Johnson, William J. Burling, James A. Coombs,
504:, Georgina George Oldmixon, Thomas Apthorpe Cooper,
688:
623:
584:
572:
649:
647:
645:
97:in America. In 1753, the Hallam company moved to
834:
826:The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Stage
515:
487:
444:
642:
231:in Virginia, then known as Quesnay's Academy.
402:and Fanny), Patrick Malone, and Mr. Roberts.
405:
362:
737:Dance and Its Music in America, 1528-1789
346:
823:
722:
682:
670:
605:
552:
262:. In 1805, the Company went bankrupt.
217:
14:
835:
734:
242:split from the Company and formed the
188:
177:of a play written by an American. The
795:
694:
636:
617:
593:
578:
112:
700:
708:Cambridge Guide to American Theatre
473:, Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. Williamsson,
128:
24:
394:By October 1767, new members were
25:
869:
848:18th century in the United States
477:, Mrs. Harper, and Fanny Storer.
369:Southwark Theatre in Philadelphia
281:Southwark Theatre in Philadelphia
59:
735:Keller, Kate Van Winkle (2007).
771:
757:
728:
567:History of the American theatre
461:, Stephen Woolls, Owen Morris,
558:
173:, the first production in the
13:
1:
828:. Cambridge University Press.
539:
64:The company was organised by
843:Theatre in the United States
564:Seilhamer, George Overcash:
516:Old American Company in 1804
488:Old American Company in 1798
445:Old American Company in 1788
145:. Within the repertoire was
7:
367:In November 1766, when the
290:
87:. Their first performance,
75:They arrived by the vessel
10:
874:
789:
341:
277:Charleston, South Carolina
107:Charleston, South Carolina
54:
265:
406:American Company in 1773
363:American Company in 1766
27:American theatre company
858:18th century in Jamaica
463:Elizabeth Walker Morris
437:The cast lists mention
428:Elizabeth Walker Morris
258:, and from 1798 at the
796:Davis, Andrew (2010).
347:Hallam Company in 1752
270:The Company enjoyed a
90:The Merchant of Venice
373:Sarah Hallam Douglass
304:Sarah Hallam Douglass
166:The Prince of Parthia
123:Sarah Hallam Douglass
853:18th-century theatre
802:. Penn State Press.
398:, Ms. Storers (Ann,
218:Old American Company
195:Continental Congress
45:Old American Company
43:(1758–1785) and the
32:Old American Company
685:, pp. 231–232.
555:, pp. 230–232.
285:John Street Theatre
256:John Street Theatre
189:Second Jamaica Tour
179:John Street Theatre
244:Virginia Comedians
113:First Jamaica Tour
81:Yorktown, Virginia
763:Robin O. Warren,
620:, pp. 12–13.
534:Charlotte Melmoth
506:Charlotte Melmoth
161:Southwark Theatre
39:(1752–1758), the
16:(Redirected from
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522:Lewis Hallam Jr.
500:, John Johnson,
494:Lewis Hallam Jr.
451:Lewis Hallam Jr.
416:Lewis Hallam Jr.
381:Lewis Hallam Jr.
316:Lewis Hallam Jr.
236:Thomas Wade West
229:Richmond Theatre
204:Kingston Theatre
135:Lewis Hallam Jr.
129:American Company
41:American Company
21:
18:American Company
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743:. p. 229.
741:Pendragon Press
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510:Juliana Westray
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482:John Hodgkinson
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329:John Hodgkinson
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5:
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725:, p. 232.
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673:, p. 231.
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583:
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541:
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489:
486:
467:Thomas Wignell
446:
443:
439:Thomas Wignell
412:David Douglass
407:
404:
389:Stephen Woolls
385:Margaret Cheer
379:, and her son
377:David Douglass
375:, her husband
364:
361:
348:
345:
343:
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339:
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336:William Dunlap
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310:David Douglass
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267:
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248:Thomas Wignell
219:
216:
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171:Thomas Godfrey
153:Margaret Cheer
130:
127:
119:David Douglass
114:
111:
77:Charming Sally
66:William Hallam
61:
60:Hallam Company
58:
56:
53:
37:Hallam Company
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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809:9780271030531
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750:9781576471272
746:
742:
738:
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724:
723:Morrison 2002
719:
717:
710:
709:
703:
697:, p. 14.
696:
691:
684:
683:Morrison 2002
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672:
671:Morrison 2002
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665:
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650:
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639:, p. 13.
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619:
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606:Morrison 2002
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596:, p. 12.
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581:, p. 11.
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575:
569:
568:
561:
554:
553:Morrison 2002
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545:
537:
535:
531:
530:Joseph Harper
527:
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475:Joseph Harper
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355:and his wife
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283:in 1766, the
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279:in 1754, the
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193:In 1774, the
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175:United States
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99:New York City
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825:
813:. Retrieved
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730:
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690:
678:
654:
653:Errol Hill,
613:
601:
574:
565:
560:
548:
526:Eliza Hallam
519:
502:Mrs. Johnson
498:Eliza Hallam
491:
479:
448:
436:
420:Nancy Hallam
409:
393:
366:
357:Sarah Hallam
353:Lewis Hallam
350:
331:, Co-manager
324:, Co-manager
298:Lewis Hallam
269:
260:Park Theatre
240:John Bignall
233:
221:
208:Spanish Town
200:
192:
183:
164:
157:Nancy Hallam
146:
133:Lewis' son,
132:
116:
103:Philadelphia
88:
85:Williamsburg
76:
74:
70:Lewis Hallam
63:
44:
40:
36:
31:
29:
459:Maria Henry
334:1796-1805:
327:1794-1799:
320:1780-1794:
314:1779-1796:
308:1758-1779:
302:1756-1758:
296:1752-1756:
252:Owen Morris
212:Montego Bay
95:Shakespeare
837:Categories
695:Davis 2010
637:Davis 2010
618:Davis 2010
594:Davis 2010
579:Davis 2010
540:References
471:Eliza Tuke
455:John Henry
424:John Henry
396:John Henry
322:John Henry
224:John Henry
148:Cymbeline
143:King John
484:joined.
291:Managers
272:de facto
139:Falstaff
49:de facto
815:June 6,
790:Sources
342:Members
55:History
806:
747:
266:Legacy
432:Maria
400:Maria
817:2024
804:ISBN
745:ISBN
250:and
238:and
210:and
202:the
155:and
141:and
30:The
169:by
79:at
839::
739:.
715:^
663:^
644:^
625:^
586:^
524:,
496:,
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457:,
453:,
426:,
422:,
418:,
414:,
387:;
383:;
109:.
819:.
753:.
20:)
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