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Playbill for performance of The Liar, at Philadelphia's Southwark Theatre, May 1, 1778.
Credit: The Library Company of Philadelphia
Quaker Philadelphia frowned upon theatrical entertainments, which is why its owners built the Southwark Theatre just south of the city border. When the British occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution, they were so fond of the stage that officers mounted their own plays, including The Liar, which they performed in May, 1778.