dwell./New
Haven:/Printed by Meigs, Bowen and Dana,/In Chapel-Street./(1785.)

Were this collection--Representative Plays by American
Dramatists--encyclopedic in its scope, rather than a suggestive
arrangement of a limited number of plays for the purpose of
illustrating certain phases of playwriting in American theatrical
history, it would have been necessary for the editor to intersperse,
here and there, between the plays, certain minor forms of dramatic
writing, characteristic of the work done in this country. For
example, plays and dialogues written at colleges at a period
ante-dating 1800, and likewise ante-dating the Revolution, are a
distinctive development in themselves, and would form an interesting
contrast with the work being done at the colleges since the
beginning of the present so-called dramatic renaissance (1917).
These dialogues, in their proper place, will be dealt with in the
introductions to a few of the plays. But it is well to indicate here
that such illustrations of very definite forms of dramatic
expression have been omitted.

In all cases the texts used have been carefully collated with the
first editions of the published dramas and, wherever possible, the
original casts have been given with the Dramatis Personae. Interest
in American drama consists very largely in the elements of
comparison and contrast which certain definite dramas suggest. Even
if there is no manuscript of "Metamora" extant, there is sufficient
data relating to the character of _Metamora_ to contrast the play
with Robert Rogers's "Ponteach." Even though Mrs. Warren's "The
Group" might be ruled out as an acting drama, none the less is it
definitely reflective of the revolutionary temper of Revolutionary
times. A comparison of other types of plays will be made as they
occur in the course of the three volumes. I emphasize the point
here, because I wish to suggest that such a collection as this
offers infinite possibilities in the study of the historical,
social, and economic evolution of America.

Most of these plays have been revived. There will be noted, later,
performances of "The Prince of Parthia," of "The Contrast," of
Dunlap's "Andre," and of Mrs. Mowatt's "Fashion," according to our
modern methods of acting. These plays may often seem verbose and
lacking in continuous development and interest. This would lead us
to believe that possibly the early actor had means at his disposal
of overcoming these defects by a method