07/01/2025
June 6, 1785 is one of our favorite dates in Philadelphia theater history! That was the day that John Durang made his debut on the Philadelphia stage.
As we report in the first chapter of our book "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia," the young Pennsylvania dancer literally launched himself in front of the public that night.
As Durang later wrote in his memoirs:
“My dress was in the character of a sailor, a dark blue round about full of plated buttons, petticoat trousers made with 6 yard of fine linens, black satin small clothes underneath, white silk stockings, a light shoe with a handsome set buckle, a red westcoat, a blue silk handkerchief; my hair curled and black, a small round hat gold lace with a blue ribband, a small rattan.”
“I had contrive a tramp[oline] behind the wing to enable me to gain the centre of the stage in one spring. When the curtain rose, the cry was ‘Sit down, hats off!’ With the swiftness of Mercury I stood before them, with a general huzza, and dancet in bu[r]sts of applause."
"When I went off the stage, I was encored. They made such a noise, throwing a bottle in [to] the orchestre; apples, &c on the stage, at last the curtain was raised again and I dancet a second time to the general satisfaction of the audiences and managers, and gained my point.”
To read the whole fascinating story of John Durang - and MANY MORE tales of theaters and theater folk of the Quaker City - GO FIND OUR BOOK! . . . . It can be ordered your local bookstore, it can be bought online as an ebook, it can be requested at your local library . . . John Durang would approve! (Link in Comments)
