Richmond Theatre. On Wednesday Evening, January 3, 1798. Will be Presented, The much admired Comedy of The Rivals, or, a Trip to Bath . To which will be Added, The Musical Entertainment of The Romp . Vivat Respublica (Theater) Americana,Art, Architecture & Design

Broadside. 17-1/4x10-1/2 inches. Believed to be the only extant example of an 18th century Richmond Theatre broadside; indeed there is only a single recorded example of an 18th century Virginia theater broadside. This broadside for the Richmond Theatre advertises a performance of the play The Rivals, or a Trip to Bath, to which is added a musical entertainment. The troupe members listed include a T. West, presumably Thomas W. West, one of the founding members of the Southern theatrical circuit and a prominent figure in Virginia theater. The performance began precisely at six; the broadside also notes that there is no admittance behind the scenes and that "Stoves are set up to render the Theatre warm." Founded in 1786, the first Richmond Theatre, aka Quesnay's Academy, was destroyed by fire on January 23, 1798. Census of Southern Theater Broadsides Eighteenth century southern theater broadsides are prohibitively rare. Not including Maryland, which had active theaters in Annapolis and Baltimore as early as 1782, we locate only seven known southern theater broadsides, each extant in single copies: Petersburg Theatre, Petersburg, VA: November 13, 1799. Evans 36084; ESTC W2423. New York Historical Society. Newbern Theatre, Newbern NC: March 31, 1797. Bristol B10035; ESTC W34411. Colonial Williamsburg. May 13, 1797. Bristol B10036; ESTC W34413. Colonial Williamsburg. May 16, 1797. Bristol B10034; ESTC W34412. Colonial Williamsburg. Edenton Theatre, Edenton, NC: July 20, 1797. Bristol B9924; ESTC 48112. Colonial Williamsburg. Charleston Theatre, Charleston, SC: November 11, 1765. Bristol B2569; ESTC W11023. American Antiquarian Society. June 9, 1794. ESTC W40189. Dock Street Theater, Charleston. No copies located in Hummel, NAIP or OCLC; AAS holds a facsimile of the present example Old break at center fold, slight paper loss but no loss of text, soiling, backed on Japan tissue and tipped to a larger sheet Broadside. 17-1/4x10-1/2 inches