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The Audience In Charleston's Theatres, 1790 - 1860, Pamela Morris Adams

Theses and Dissertations

From the perspective of the 20th century, Charleston, South Carolina, seems an unlikely beginning for American theatre, but Charleston of previous centuries had the location and economy to attract theatrical activity. More importantly, Charleston had a population that was consistently receptive to theatre. Eola Willis' The Charleston Stage in the XVIII Century, with Social Settings of the Time demonstrates that a number of American theatrical firsts occurred in Charleston, such as the first performance by a professional actor, the first opera, and the first American prologues.