Haymarket Theatre (Boston, Massachusetts) Explained

The Haymarket Theatre (1796-1803) or Hay-Market Theatre was a theatre in late-18th century Boston, Massachusetts.^[1] Organized by Charles Stuart Powell, it occupied a large, wooden building "opposite the Mall on Common (later Tremont) Street, near Hatch's Tavern."^[2] In addition to dramatic plays, the theatre presented some 62 musical entertainments during its first 5 years.^[3] The Haymarket "was seldom used after 1800, and on March 3, 1803, it was offered for sale at auction on the condition that it be removed in 60 days."

Works performed

• Isaac Bickerstaffe's "The Padlock"^[4]
• Samuel Birch's "The Adopted Child"^{[5] [6]}
• William Hill Brown's "West Point Preserved"
• John Daly Burk's "Bunker-Hill; or, the Death of General Warren"^[7]
• Susanna Centlivre's "The Ghost"
• James Cobb's "The Siege of Belgrade"^{[8] [9]}
• George Colman's "Inkle and Yarico"
• Richard Cumberland's "Note of Hand"^[10]
• Charles Dibdin's "The Quaker"; "The Waterman"
• David Everett's "Daranzel; or, the Persian Patriot"
• George Farquhar's "The Recruiting Officer"^[11]
• Henry Fielding's "The Mock Doctor"^[12]
• David Garrick's "The Lying Valet"
• Oliver Goldsmith's "She Stoops to Conquer"^[12]
• John Hodgkinson's "The Launch, or, Huzza for the Constitution"
• Elizabeth Inchbald's "Married Man";^[13] "Animal Magnetism;" "Child of Nature"
• Robert Jephson's "Two Strings to Your Bow"^[14]
• Hugh Kelly's "Romance of an Hour"
• Kotzebue's "The stranger; or, Misanthropy and repentance"^[15]
• Nathaniel Lee's "Alexander the Great"
• Thomas Morton's "Way to Get Married"
• Arthur Murphy's "Old Maid"^[8]
• John O'Keeffe's "The Young Quaker";^[16] "Agreeable Surprise;" "Son in Law"
• Walley Chamberlain Oulton's "All in Good Humour"^[17]
• William Preston's "Death of Louis XVI"^[18]
• Frederick Reynolds' "Cheap Living"^[19]
• Richard Brinsley Sheridan's "The School for Scandal"
• Royall Tyler's "A Georgia Spec; or, Land in the Moon"
• "The Boston Balloon; or, a Supposed Flight from the Beacon-Hill" ("localized from the celebrated farce written by Mrs. Inchbald, of Mogul Tale")^[20]
• "The Village Lawyer"^[19]
• "Washington, or Memorable Era of 1776"^[21]

Performers

• Mrs. Allen
• Mr. Amean
• Mr. Barrett
• Mrs. Barrett
• Mr. Borier
• Mr. Bowen
• Mrs. Brett
• Miss Broadhurst
• Mr. Clough
• Mr. Cunnington
• Mr. Dickenson
• Mr. Dubois
• Mr. Fawcett
• Mons. Francisqui (or Francisquy)
• Mrs. Harper
• Miss Harrison
• Mr. Hodgkinson
• Mrs. Hodgkinson
• Mr. Hughes
• Mrs. Hughes
• Miss Gowen
• Mr. Kenny
• Mrs. King
• Mr. Lege
• Madame Lege
• Mr. Marriott
• Mrs. Pick
• Mr. S. Powell
• Mrs. S. Powell
• Mr. Sevens
• Master Shaffer
• Mr. Simpson
• Mrs. Simpson
• Mr. Smith
• Mr. Spinacuta
• Mr. Sprague
• Mr. Taylor
• Mr. Turnbull
• Mr. Val
• Madame Val
• Mr. Villiers
• Eleanor Westray (later Mrs. Darley)
• Elizabeth Westray (later Mrs. Villiers and Mrs. Twaits)
• David Williamson
• Mr. Wilson

Further reading

• Letter to the editor. Polar Star and Boston Daily Advertiser; 12-30-1796
• William Warland Clapp. A Record of the Boston Stage. Boston: J. Munroe & Co., 1853

External links

• Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library. Early American playbills: Guide; includes playbills from the Hay-Market Theatre

42.3527°N -71.0644°W

Notes and References

1. Don Wilmeth and Christopher Bigsby, eds. The Cambridge history of American theatre, Volume 2. Cambridge University Press, 1998; p.53.
2. Richard Stoddard. The Haymarket Theatre, Boston. Educational Theatre Journal, Vol.27, No.1, March 1975; p.63.
3. Susan L. Porter. English-American Interaction in American Musical Theater at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century. American Music, Vol. 4, No. 1, British-American Musical Interactions (Spring, 1986); p.11.
4. George Oberkirsh Seilhamer. History of the American Theatre: New foundations. Philadelphia: Globe Printing House, 1891
5. Samuel Birch. The adopted child, : a musical drama, in two acts. As performed at the Hay-Makket [sic] Theatre, Boston. Boston: : Printed by B. Edes, Jun. for John West, no. 75, Cornhill, 1798.
6. WorldCat Samuel Birch
7. http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/np-burk,%20john%20daly$ca%201775%201808 WorldCat
8. Massachusetts Mercury; 08-22-1797
9. http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/lccn-n82-207750 WorldCat
10. Advertisement: "Hay Market Theatre. Mr. Villiers' night ... On Wednesday evening, April 25, 1798"
11. Boston Gazette, and Weekly Republican Journal; 04-02-1798
12. Columbian Centinel, 10-04-1800
13. Advertisement: "Hay Market Theatre. Mr. Villiers' night ... On Wednesday evening, April 25, 1798 ... The married man, or, A school for husbands. ... To which will be added ... the Descent of Apollo. ... the evening will conclude with a farce ... called, The note of hand, or, A lesson for gamesters"
14. Boston Gazette, and Weekly Republican Journal; 08-14-1797
15. Early American imprints. First series ; no. 48806. ("Hay-Market Theatre : On Monday evening, May 27th, 1799, will be presented (for the last time) the celebrated drama of The stranger; or, Misanthropy and repentance. Translated from the German of Kotesbue [sic]. ... : To which will be added (never performed in Boston) a comedy in 2 acts, called the Wandering Jew; or Love's masquerade.")
16. Early American imprints. First series ; no. 48066 ("Hay-Market Theatre. On Friday evening, September 15th, '97 : Will be presented, a comedy, called, The young Quaker; or, The fair American. ... To which will be added ... Don Juan; or, The libertine destroyed")
17. http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/lccn-n83-71053 WorldCat
18. http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/viaf-DNB%7C100843549 WorldCat
19. Columbian Centinel; 05-01-1799
20. Boston Price Current and Marine Intelligencer; 07-31-1797
21. Massachusetts Mercury; 07-02-1799