him in
America, in New York, at the adoption of the Federal
Constitution, and the inauguration of the President, the
interest expressed by the audience in the looks and the changes
of countenance of this great man became intense.

And then there follows an indication by Dunlap of where Washington smiled,
and where he showed displeasure. And, altogether, there was much
perturbation of mind over every quiver of his eye-lash. The fact of the
matter is, as a playgoer, the Father of our Country figured quite as
constantly as the Father of our Theatre. When the seat of Government
changed from New York to Philadelphia, President Washington's love of the
theatre prompted many theatrical enterprises to follow in his wake, and we
have an interesting picture, painted in words by Seilhamer (ii, 316), of
the scene at the old Southwark on such an occasion. He says:

[The President] frequently occupied the east stage-box, which
was fitted up expressly for his reception. Over the front of the
box was the United States coat-of-arms and the interior was
gracefully festooned with red drapery. The front of the box and
the seats were cushioned. According to John [_sic_] Durang,
Washington's reception at the theatre was always exceedingly
formal and ceremonious. A soldier was generally posted at each
stage-door; four soldiers were placed in the gallery; a military
guard attended. Mr. Wignell, in a full dress of black, with his
hair elaborately powdered in the fashion of the time, and
holding two wax candles in silver candle-sticks, was accustomed
to receive the President at the box-door and conduct Washington
and his party to their seats. Even the newspapers began to take
notice of the President's contemplated visits to the theatre.

This is the atmosphere which must have attended the performance of
Dunlap's "Darby's Return."

The play which probably is best known to-day, as by William Dunlap, is his
"Andre,"[3] in which Washington figures as the General, later to appear
under his full name, when Dunlap utilized the old drama in a manuscript
libretto, entitled "The Glory of Columbia--Her Yeomanry" (1817). The play
was produced on March 30, 1798, after Dunlap had become manager of the New
Park Theatre, within whose proscenium it was given. Professor Matthews,
editing the piece for the Dunlap Society (No. 4, 1887), claims that this
was the first drama acted in the Uni