The Theater in the South During the American Revolution

Although the performance of plays on American soil during the

period of the Revolution was strictly prohibited by a Congressional

resolution of 1774 (reinforced by a similar resolution passed in 1778),

numerous theatrical productions were given by British officers garrisoned or imprisoned in various American cities between 1775 and

1783. American officers countered with occasional productions of

their own, but Congress's will was scrupulously obeyed in the case of

professional American performers-until 1781, when a professional

theatrical troupe began giving a series of performances in various

Maryland cities. What follows is the history of the theater in the South

during the Revolution.