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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 October 2010
On 1 September 1797, both the John Street Theatre and the New Theatre, Greenwich-Street advertised Sheridan's The School for Scandal. Although the company at the John Street Theatre subsequently postponed its performance, this confrontation was typical of what G.C.D. Odell referred to as the “Battle Royal of 1797,” New York City's first competitive theatre season. While most scholars of the American theatre are familiar with the history of the John Street Theatre, very little has been written about New York City's first “regular opposition theatre,” the Greenwich Street Theatre. Lack of information combined with scholarly bias has left us with only impressionistic images of this theatre's place in history.
1 Odell, George C. D., Annals of the New York Stage, 15 vols. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1927–1949), I, 455, 445–477Google Scholar; Wemyss, Francis, Wemyss’ Chronology of the American Stage From 1752–1852 (1852; rpt. New York: Benjamin Blom, 1968), pp. 11–12Google Scholar, incorrectly refers to Ricketts’ 1795 circus as New York City's “first opposition theatre,” but he is clearly referring to the Greenwich Street Theatre.
2 Henderson, Mary C., The City and The Theatre (Clifton, New Jersey: James T. White & Co., 1973), pp. 26–27.Google Scholar
3 Phelp Stokes, I. N., The iconography of Manhattan Island, 6 vols. (New York: Robert H. Hood, 1928), V, 1346.Google Scholar
4 Odell, II, 31; Greenwood, Isaac J., The Circus Its Origins and Growth Prior to 1835 (New York: The Dunlap Society, 1899), pp. 72 & 77Google Scholar; Thayer, Stuart, Annals of the American Circus 1793–1829 (Manchester, Michigan: Rymack Printing Co., 1976), pp. 16–17.Google Scholar The Thayer volume is perhaps one of the best surveys'of circus development during this period and it offers a fair treatment of Phillip Lailson's circus activities.
5 Odell, II, 1–37.
6 Stokes, V, 1346–1348, 1352.
7 Odell, I, 472–473; see also performance announcements for both the “New Theatre, Greenwich Street” and “New Circus, Greenwich Street” in New York City newspapers for the period from 17 October 1797 to 25 November 1797.
8 Considering the alternating format above, this was obviously the case. Regarding Lailson's circus, it should be noted that while references exist, newspapers suggest that this was merely another name change. They show that the companies at both the Greenwich Street Theatre and Liaison's were the same. In addition, the advertisements for the supposedly “new” Lailson and Jaymond's circus carried the same announcement for the addition of heaters as had the Greenwich Street Theatre earlier in the season. One would hope that a “new” theatre opening in December would not have to “add” heaters on it opening night. Still, references to a second building persist and most of these can be traced to William Dunlap's A History of the American Theatre, and ultimately to his diary. It could be that Lailson either purchased or leased the Greenwich Street Theatre during 1797, thereby causing Dunlap to refer to it in his diary by the name of its new owner or leasee. Beyond this I can find no explanation for the discrepancy.
9 For a brief description of his other buildings see my “A Checklist of Circus Buildings Constructed by Ricketts, John B.,” Bandwagon The Journal of the Circus Historical Society (Sept.-Oct., 1978), 21–23.Google Scholar
10 Greenleafs New York Journal and Patriotic Register, 7 October 1796, p. 3.
11 The New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, 3 March 1797, p. 3.
12 The New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, 6 March 1797, p. 2.
13 The New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, 8 March 1797, p. 3; Argus. Greenleafs New Daily Advertiser (New York), 18 March 1797, p. 3; for a detailed treatment of Ricketts’ circus activities see my “Entertainments at John B. Ricketts's Circus 1793–1800,” Educational Theatre Journal (May 1978), 186–202.
14 Downer, Alan S., ed., The Memoir of John Durang American Actor 1785–1816 (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1966), p. 45.Google Scholar
15 Dunlap, William, 3 vols., The Diary of William Dunlap (New York: The New-York Historical Society, 1930), I, 111.Google Scholar
16 Odell, I, 452–453; Dunlap, William, 2 vols. A History of the American Theatre (London: Richard Bentley, 1833), I, 191–192.Google Scholar
17 Commercial Advertiser (New York), 17 October 1797, p. 3; Odell, I, 472.
18 This flexibility on a day-to-day basis was new. An earlier structure by Ricketts in Philadelphia had been similarly altered on occasion to serve as a ballroom, but judging from the infrequency of this practice the building was obviously not designed like the Greenwich Street Theatre.
19 Dunlap, , The Diary of William Dunlap, I, 150–151.Google Scholar
20 Dunlap, The Diary of William Dunlap, I, p. 161; Argus. Greenleafs New Daily Advertiser (New York) 21 November 1797; see also Commercial Advertiser (New York) for October-November 1797.
21 Argus. Greenleafs New Daily Advertiser (New York), 4 December 1797, p. 3.
22 The Time-Piece (New York), 4 May 1798, p. 3; Daily Advertiser (New York), 21 August 1798, p. 3; Commercial Advertiser (New York), 18 July 1798, p. 3.
23 The New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, 9 November 1798, p. 2; Commercial Advertiser (New York), 3 December 1798, p. 3; The New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, 11 December 1798, p. 3; Commercial Advertiser (New York), 13. December 1798, p. 3; Daily Advertiser (New York), 19 February 1799, p. 3.
24 Daily Advertiser (New York), 25 May 1799, p. 3; The New-York Gazette and General Advertiser. 12 June 1799, p. 3, & 18 June 1799, p. 3; Dunlap, , A History of the American Theatre, II, 117.Google Scholar
25 Commercial Advertiser (New York), 18 July 1801, p. 3.
26 The New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, 11 May 1802, p. 3.
27 The New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, 3 March 1797, p. 3.
28 Stokes, V, 1346; Diary and Mercantile Advertiser (New York), 20 March 1797, p. 3.
29 Commercial Advertiser (New York), 18 July 1798, p. 3.
30 Argus. Greenleafs New Daily Advertiser (New York), 21 March 1797, p. 3.
31 The New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, 9 November 1798, p. 3.
32 Daily Advertiser (New York), 24 November 1798, p. 2.
33 Argus. Greenleafs New Daily Advertiser (New York), 25 April 1797, p. 3.
34 Argus. Greenleafs New Daily Advertiser (New York), 25 April 1797, p. 3; Daily Advertiser (New York), 5 July 1800, p. 3.
35 Daily Advertiser (New York), 19 February 1799, p. 3.
36 Commercial Advertiser (New York), 6 March 1799, p. 3.
37 Dunlap, , The Diary of William Dunlap. I, 144–145.Google Scholar
