Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: missioners of the Almshouse declined to receive the proceeds of a Benefit for the Poor. A few examples of announcements will show their character: Eduard and Eleonora Thomson "Moral poem" Jane Shore "tale" Hamlet "moral and instructive tale" "Improper education" stood for "She Stoops To Conquer," "Impertinent Curiosity" for "the Busybody." It would seem that the opposition was more determined some years, for in 1785 farces were given in their correct names, while in 1788 plays were still given in disguise and the performance announced as "gratis." Strange enough there are numerous recorded visits of George Washington to the theatre, three during the season of 1788, and this more than anything ejse shows the anomalous position of the theatre at that period. In 1789 this condition as far as the sanction of the law was concerned came to an end and Hallam and his company opened "by authority." The following complete announcement from the year 1787 may serve as a further example: At the Opera House, in Southwark, This Evening, the 3Oth of July, will be Performed A Concert. Between the parts of the Concert will be introduced a Comic Lecture in five parts on the Pernicious Vice of Scandal. By particular desire—the original prologue to the School for Scandal. Written by R. B. Sheridan Esq. Author of the Duenna, Rivals, Critic, etc. General Conditions at the Theatres. These companies of players were stock companies. The Old American Company played alternately in Philadelphia, NewYork and points in the South as far as Williamsburg, and also North to Newport. The later company with headquarters at the Chestnut, played long seasons there and short seasons in Baltimore, Annapolis and later also in Washington. The Philadelphia season bega...