Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

THE FIRST THEATRE IN AMERICA
Williamsburg, Virginia -1716

¹⁹³⁵

America's first theatre was erected in 1716 in Williamsburg, colonial capital of Virginia. The ambitious scheme for its erection and operation in still on record in the clerk's office of York County, Virginia, in a contract between the "angel" for the playhouse, and an actor-manager and his actress wife.

By this contract, recorded November 19, 1716, between William Levingston, merchant of New Kent, and Charles Stagg, dancing master, and Mary, his wife, it was agreed, "... And it is further covenanted and agreed between ye sd parties in manner and form following, that is to say, that ye sd Wm Levingston & Charles Stagg shall with all convenient speed after ye ensealing of these Presents use their best endeavor to obtain a Patent or a Lycense from ye Governour of Virginia for ye sole privilege of Acting Comedies, Drolls or other kind of Stage Plays within any part of ye sd Colony not only for ye three years next ensueing ye date hereof but for as much longer time as ye sd Governour shall be pleased to grant ye same for ye joint benefit of ye sd William Levingston or Charles Stagg or their assigns & neither of ye sd parties shall accept of or use such lycense without assuming ye other as partner in manner aforesaid. And ye sd Charles Stagg and Mary his wife do hereby covenant and promise that they ye sd Charles Stagg & Mary shall not only act in ye stage plays ( sickness and other reasonable ----- excepted) butt shall also use their best endeavors to teach and influence others in ye way and manner of Acting according to ye best of their skill as well for ye three years 2 next ensueing ye date hereof for such further and longer time as they ye sd Charles Stagg & Mary his wife or either of them shall stay in Virginia .... "

By this same contract the erection of the playhouse was provided in the following terms:

"...And ye sd William Levingston dothe further covenant and agree with all convenient speed to cause to be erected and built at his own proper cost and charges in ye City of Williamsburgh one good substantial house commodious for acting such plays as shall be thought fitt to be acted there. And it is further covenanted and agreed by and between ye sd parties that ye sd Wm Levingston and Charles Stagg shall bear an equal share in all charges of cloathes, musick and other necessaries required for acting sd plays ( ye rent of ye playhouse at Williamsburg only excepted which is declared to aforesaid to be ye proper charge of ye sd Wm Levingston) and shall also have receive and enjoy an equal share of ye profits arising thereby. And for as much as ye sd Wm Levingston hath at his own proper cost and charge sent to England for actors and musicians for ye better performance of ye sd plays, it is hereby covenanted and agreed by and between ye sd parties to these presents that ye money arising by ye sd plays ye same allowance shall be made both for ye musicians and actors as others equally qualified hired here in Virginia shall or ought to receiv by ye day or other ways ..."

William Levingston leased three lots for a term of five hundred years on the green near the royal Governor's Palace, and erected not only "one good substantial house suitable for acting such plays as shall be thought fitt to be acted there", but a dwelling house, kitchen and Bowling Green in addition.

The playhouse was under the patronage of the leading men of the colony. On June 24, 1718, Governor Alexander Spotswood referred to some quarrelsome members of the House of Burgesses saying, "These eight committee men would neither come to my house nor go to the play which was enacted on the occasion".

The historian, the Reverend Hugh Jones, in his "Present State of Virginia" (published in London in 1724) in describing Williamsburg, where he had lived for some years while he served as professor at the college and chaplain to the General Assembly wrote, "Not far from hence is a large Area for a Market Place; near which is a Play House and good Bowling Green".

When the Virginia Gazette began publication in 1736, advertisements of the Williamsburg playhouse appeared. In that year, Williamsburg's theatre opened its season with "Tragedy of Cato", "The Busybody", "The Recruiting Officer" and "The Beaux' Sratagem".

Levingston died in 1729, and Charles Stagg in 1735, but Mrs. Mary Stagg continued in Williamsburg acting with the "Company" and holding dancing assemblies. By 1745, the Mayor, Recorder and Common Council of the city of Williamsburg petitioned "The Gentlemen Subscribers for the Play House", saying that they had no building for holding their Hustings Courts, and "That the Play House stands in a convenient place for such uses, and has not been put to any use for several years...They intending to repair and alter it by their own subscription if this request shall be granted."

The thirty-one gentlemen subscribers, who included Governor William Gooch, and members of such eminent families as Blair, Harrison, Beverley, Randolph, Burwell, Nelson, Lee, Braxton, and Ludwell, granted this request. On December 19, 1746, the following advertisement appeared in the Virginia Gazette:

The Playhouse in Williamsburg, being by Order of the Common-Hall of the said City, to be fitted up for a Court-House with the necessary Alterations and Repairs; that is to say, to be new shingled, 4 weatherboarded, painted, five large sash windows, Door, flooring, plastering and proper Workmanship within; Notice is hereby given, to all such as are willing to undertake the doing thereof, That they offer their Proposals to the Mayor.

The Playhouse became a Court of Hustings and served that purpose until 1770 when, with the County of James City, the City of Williamsburg moved into a new brick court house on the Market Square. The playhouse was sold to private owners and became part of the property of Colonel St. George Tucker, who built a large dwelling nearby. It is believed that materials from the old playhouse were used in the construction of the new dwelling, as the building disappeared at any early date.

Williamsburg was not long without a theatre however, one being erected just east of the Capitol in 1751 where Murray and Keene of New York performed. On August 21, 1752 the Company of Comedians From London advertised that they had "with great Expence entirely altered the Play-House at Williamsburg to a regular Theatre, fit for the Reception of Ladies and Gentlemen..." They opened with a performance of "Merchant of Venice", the first performance of their company in America, and the beginning of a triumphal tour of the colonies. In the company was twelve-year old Lewis Hallam, who returned to Williamsburg years later as the head of his own Hallam Company.

Although Washington, and many notable Virginians attended this later playhouse frequently, theatrical interest centers on the old Levingston playhouse, the first in America. Foundations of this building have been excavated fully and studied by architects and archaeologists employed by the Williamsburg Restoration. The foundations were in such excellent 5 condition, that the location of the stage, the auditorium and dressing rooms was deducible from the evidence found in the complete brick-paved cellar. Records of Virginia buildings or the period, and of contemporary playhouses in England were employed in developing details for restoration drawings of this building.