Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

John Bill Ricketts, the English Equestrian, arrives in Philadelphia, and attracts the attention of a Very Important Person. How did Philadelphia become the site of the First American Circus? Listen in and find out! (Image courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum) Go to our website for a blog post with more images and a bibliography of source material: "Ricketts' Circus" Suppor...

A broad overview of Philadelphia theater and its contribution to American drama - from the founding of Pennsylvania to the end of the 18th Century. William Penn's antipathy to all things theatrical is discussed, as well as the continuing effects of Quakerism's distrust of the performing arts during most of this period. But as Colonial America began to change, and as the United States bec...

Why we're here, and what we're trying to do with our podcast.  Peter tells the story of his own personal history, and how he started on the task of researching, exploring, and teaching the history of the theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The matter of spelling the word "theater" (as opposed to "theatre") is explained, and the complexities and attractions and cha...