The Play Must Go West
Soon after the American Revolution, Americans began their expansion to the west. It was our Manifest Destiny to tame the wilds of the west and expand our nation from coast to coast. Families from all over would load up their belongings and travel to the newly purchased lands. People from New York, Philadelphia, Boston and all parts of the new nation brought with them their language, culture and belief systems. Along with this they also brought the theater. It was not long after people would begin to live in an area that the theater would take root. The progress of the theater in the United States can be traced along the same routes as the settlement of the west. Beginning on the east coast with early colonies the theater was carried with our ancestors to their new homes in the west. From St. Louise to Kansas City, from Kansas City to California and all parts in between. Horace Greeley said "Go west young man" and the theater followed. In 1492 Christopher Columbus left Azones on a trip to discover a western sea route to the Orient. Seventy days later Columbus made land fall on what he thought was an outlying portion of Asia. Columbus would go to his death believing he had landed in Asia, he was wrong. Although he did
In New Orleans there where French speaking theaters as early as 1809 but there had never been any English language plays performed. A man named Noah Ludlow with the help of some actors from the Turner company decided to go to New Orleans and perform. They had been told that there was a large English speaking population there now and they where in need to spend their money on English speaking plays. This is all that Ludlow needed. Although some of his partners protested and left the troupe, Ludlow with many others departed from Nashville on Oct. 20th 1917. (Hornblow) Horblow, Arthur. "A history of the Theatre in America from its Beginnings to the Present Time." Theater had now expanded to the western shores of the Mississippi. The United States would soon conquer from coast to coast in North American. Expanding from the Mississippi to the coast in California. As the Mormons expanded into the great Salt lake area of Utah and the Mexican War would add vast new land, including California into the United States the theater would not be far behind McKay, Hill, Buckler. "A history of Western Society 5th Edition"
Some common words found in the essay are:
King Charles, St Louis, Asia Columbus, Philadelphia Boston, Noah Ludlow, Nashville Oct, Wintropes British, Pacific Times, Willamsburg Virginia, French Spanish, salt lake, st louis, ludlow decided, horace greeley west, kansas city, st louise, english speaking, hornblow theater, north america, theater expanded, greeley west theater, salt lake city, salt lake theater, performed play,
Approximate Word count = 1963
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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