Partisan Theatre in the Early Years of the United States

Abstract

The 1790s were an important decade for clarifying and reaffirming the values of the newly created United States of America. Following the establishment of a Federal constitution and the election of George Washington as the first President, political factions in America used the theatre to promote contradictory political agendas. Leading theatre scholars have described many of the plays from this era as nationalistic. In this essay, I want to look closely at the rhetoric of four of these plays and at their political and social context in order to demonstrate that they contributed to a dynamic political discussion about the future of the country. Rather than simply uniting the audience in proclaiming the virtues of their heritage, some of these plays were partisan and divisive. By contrasting their rhetoric, I will examine how each play helped to define the values of the nation in a particular manner.

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