Early American Theatre from the Revolution to Thomas Jefferson: Into the Hands of the People (Cambridge Studies in American Theatre and Drama, Series Number 19)

Theater has often served as a touchstone for moments of political change or national definition and as a way of exploring cultural and ethnic identity. Heather Nathans examines its growth and influence in the development of the young American Republic--from the Revolution through the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800. Unlike many works on early American theater, this book explores the lives and motives of the people working behind the scenes to establish a new national drama.