Episodes
Special Episode: Interview by "The Theatre History Podcast"
This is an edited version of the interview with Peter Schmitz by Mike Lueger of "The Theatre History Podcast". In the interview, …
Episode 13: The Forrest of Philadelphia - Part One
Part One of our story of Philadelphia's own Edwin Forrest, the first great star of the American Stage! We follow him from birth, …
Episode 12: The Stages of Fire
An exploration of Philadelphia's theater fires in the 1800s, and how efforts to prevent fires affect the physical environment of …
Episode 11: The Theatrical Commonwealth
Wars, fires, melodramas, circuses, balloons, and ice cream . . . plus, for even more excitement, an examination of the economic …
Episode 10: George Frederick Cooke Heads to Philadelphia
George Frederick Cooke, one of the greatest actors of the English stage, came to town in 1811 while on a barnstorming tour of Ame…
Episode 9: Chaos Comes to Walnut Street
The hurricanes of World History blow a French equestrian circus company all the way to Philadelphia. The Walnut Street Theatre is…
Episode 8: New Year's Day at the New Theatre, 1800
Philadelphia's premiere theater company rings in the New Year of 1800 with their production of the spectacular Romance entitled "…
Episode 7: Two Paintings at The Met
An examination of two works by artist John Lewis Krimmel, as they relate to the history of theater and public performance in earl…
Episode 6: Ricketts' Circus in the Capital City, Part Four
The final installment of our story about John Bill Ricketts, with more adventures about his equestrian circus and theatrical trou…
Episode 5: Ricketts' Circus in the Capital City, Part Three
The third in our four-part Adventure about John Bill Ricketts and his circus in Philadelphia, the temporary capital city of the n…
Episode 4: Ricketts' Circus in the Capital City, Part Two
The second of our four-part Adventure about John Bill Ricketts, the equestrian and showman, famous for being the originator of th…
Episode 3: Ricketts' Circus in the Capital City, Part One
This is first section of our first deep dive, the initial Adventure in Theater History that the title of the show promises. John …
Episode 2: Early Philadelphia Theater in the 18th Century
In this episode, we do a broad overview of Philadelphia theater and its contribution to American drama - from the founding of Pen…
Episode 1: Welcome to Adventures in Theater History
This is the Introduction to entire Adventures in Theater History podcast. In this episode, we explain why we're here, and what we…