Southwark Theatre

Southwark Theatre, was a theatre in Philadelphia, founded in 1766. It played a significant part in the Culture of Philadelphia as well as the United States, being the first permanent theatre in Philadelphia and the first permanent theatre in the United States, one year prior to John Street Theatre in New York.^[1] It was the oldest theatre building in North America before it was demolished in 1913.^[2]

History

The Southwark Theatre was founded on the intersection of Fourth Street and South Street outside of the city borders in the south of Philadelphia.^[3] It was founded by the American Company, who regularly used the building during their tours to the city for about thirty years onward.^[4] David Douglass, a member of the company, built it, and it became the first permanent theatre building in North America in 1766.^[3] It had a capacity of about 800 people.^[3]

On April 24, 1767, at the Southwark, the American Company staged The Prince of Parthia by Thomas Godfrey, the first production in the United States of a play written by an American.^[5]

The Southwark Theatre remained the only theatre in the city until the Chestnut Street Theatre was founded in 1794, which soon replaced it as the city's main venue.

The Southwark Theatre was no longer used for theatre by 1817.^[6] It was damaged by a fire in 1821 and repurposed as a hayloft and distillery.^[2]

References

^ Thorold, W. J.; Hornblow, Jr., Arthur; Maxwell, Perriton; Beach, Stewart (July 1912). "America's First Theatre". The Theatre Magazine. Vol. 16. p. 16.
^ ^a ^b Davis 2010, p. 3.
^ ^a ^b ^c Davis 2010, p. 13.
^ Dunlap, William, A history of the American theatre
^ Davis 2010, p. 14.
^ Davis 2010, p. 2.

Sources

Davis, Andrew (2010). America's Longest Run: A History of the Walnut Street Theatre. Penn State Press. ISBN 9780271030531. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
Dunlap, William, A history of the American theatre
Seilhamer, George Overcash, History of the American theatre

Philadelphia area theaters

Buildings

Active	Academy of Music Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts EgoPo Classic Theater Forrest Hedgerow Theatre Irvine Auditorium Kimmel Center Living Arts Media Theatre Metropolitan Opera House Miller Painted Bride Art Center Penypack Theatre Plays and Players Prince Royal Sedgwick Suzanne Roberts Tacony Music Hall Trocadero Uptown Walnut Street Wilma
Former	Arch Street Boyd Chestnut Street Opera House Chestnut Street Dunbar Earle Empire Erlanger Garrick National Hall Nixon Pearl Southwark Standard Wynne

Companies

Active	Arden Theatre Company InterAct Theatre Company Lantern Theater Company Mask and Wig Club New Freedom Theatre New Paradise Laboratories People's Light Philadelphia Theatre Company Philly Improv Theater Pig Iron Theatre Company Spiral Q Puppet Theater Theatre Horizon

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